


Katrina, Harry, and the Prisoner of Azkaban

by Childhood_Dreams



Series: Katrina and The Boy Who Lived [3]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Fanfiction, Hogwarts
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-10
Updated: 2017-07-13
Packaged: 2018-10-17 05:33:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 22
Words: 98,035
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10587480
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Childhood_Dreams/pseuds/Childhood_Dreams
Summary: Katrina is back for Year 3. Join her and Harry as they discover the truth about Remus Lupin and Sirius Black





	1. A New Pet

Katrina's POV

"Sev, can I pleeeease get it! Pretty please with a cherry on top!" I widened my eyes and stuck out my bottom lip in a puppy dog pout. We had gone into Diagon Alley for the day and had just walked by a window when a small creature had caught my eye. It was a Dragon! But not a normal one, on the plaque next to it there was a note saying that it was a rare kind of breed that only grew to be about 2-3 feet long. I fell in love as soon as I saw the little guy.

I ran into the store and immediately found my way over to the tiny dragon. Ever since my first year when I'd laid eyes on Hagrid's Norwegian Ridgeback, I'd wanted one of my own. I'd thought it would never be possible since dragon's normally grow to such a large size, but this seemed to be the perfect solution!

I looked at Snape pleadingly. He stared into my eyes and after a minute of silence, he caved.

"Alright fine, you can get him, but you're responsible for taking care of him! I will not let you stick me with the chore of taking care of the fellow!"

"Of course not, Sev! I'll take perfect care of him!" I hopped up and down in excitement and ran over to the store attendant. She smiled as she saw my enthusiasm.

"An excellent choice, young lady!" She told me as she walked around the store, collecting a cage, food, and the other care products that I would need.

"That will be 30 galleons!" She told Severus. I glanced up at him to double check that he hadn't changed his mind after hearing the price. He smiled at me and handed over the coins without a seconds hesitation. I hugged him and thanked him profusely. He waved it off and we continued down the street with my new friend in tow.

"So what are you going to name him?" He said as he grinned down at me. I paused and glanced at my new dragon. "Umm..." I couldn't think of anything. "How about Drake, for now?" I stared up at Sev to see what he thought.

"It's a wonderful name. I'm sure he'll love it! Now let's get back home and get him settled in. I sure wasn't expecting to be arriving back with a new pet, but I'm sure we can work our schedule around it!" I smiled up at my godfather. We had just got back to the leaky cauldron, when I saw a large black dog that looked starved.

I handed Drake over to Sev and walked slowly over to where the black dog sat whimpering with hunger. I looked at the rest of my lunch; a half-eaten burger, and stretched my arm out to the dog. He looked like he could use it.

The dog looked at me and wagged it's tail happily as it ate the rest of my meal. "I'd take you home with me, but I just got a new pet and I don't think my godfather would appreciate me adding a second one to the mix. I'm sorry! But I hope you manage to find a nice owner who will take care of you!" The dog licked my face and wagged its tail again before dashing off. I skipped back to Sev and we walked through the leaky cauldron and down the street before Sev apparated us back to his house.

(Hope you guys liked the first little intro into book 3!)


	2. Spinner's End

Katrina's POV

We arrived back at Spinner's End and I carried Drake's cage up to the room Sev had picked out for me. It was just your average room, but what I loved most was the nook that had been carved out near the window. It was the perfect spot to read my new course books. While we had been in Diagonal Alley earlier, we had decided we might as well pick up my new school supplies as well and I had plenty of new material to absorb.

I gently laid the cage on my bed and set about putting away my new supplies. Once I was finished, I slowly crept back towards the cage and carefully opened it. I didn't want to scare my new pet!

Drake looked at me, then looked at the open cage door, then back to me. Before I knew what had happened, he had unfurled his wings and soared out of the cage and started flying in circles around the room. Once he had gotten the layout of the land, he floated down to me and curled up in my hands. I stared down at him with a goofy grin plastered on my face.

He was the cutest thing I had ever seen! I couldn't believe he was mine! I ran down the stairs with the little dragon still curled up in my palm as I raced to find Sev. I finally found him in the dining room, supervising as his house elf; Dolly, set the table.

"Look how cute Drake is, Sev!" I cried as I burst into the room. I frowned, "are we having guests over?" I noticed Dolly was setting the table for three extra people.

"Yes, actually. We are. I invited the Malfoy's over for dinner. It's high time we put last years foolishness behind us. Now I don't approve of what Lucius did, but that is no reason to avoid hanging out with Draco!"

"I have not been avoiding him! I just -" Sev gave me a knowing look as his eyebrows rose. "Okay, fine! I have been, but so what! That diary was evil and I'm almost positive Lucius knew what it would do! I can't believe he gave it to me!"

"I can't believe it either and I had some choice words to say to Lucius after I found out, but Kat, you will be seeing Draco around all the time at school. It would be easier for everyone involved, if we could put this all behind us. Promise me you'll be on your best behavior tonight and at least give it a chance?"

"Yes, sir." I mumbled grumpily. As if he could sense my mood, Drake shifted in my hand, lifted his head, and turned to glare at my godfather. He looked at the two of us and the corners of his mouth lifted into a smirk.

"You're enjoying this aren't you..." I hissed as he chuckled.

"Yes, I think I am!"

\----------------------------------------------

"Hello, Narcissa, Draco...Lucius." I ground my teeth together as I forced myself to spit out his name. We glared at each other but Severus motioned them through the door and we broke eye contact.

"What's that, Kat?" Draco said, pointing to my shoulder. I smiled and lifted the sleepy dragon from where he had been perched; in the crook where my neck met my shoulder, and showed him to Draco.

"His name is Drake! Isn't he adorable! Sev got him for me today in Diagon Alley!"

"Wow!" Said Draco as he peered at the little dragon still sleeping in the palm of my hand. "But won't you have to keep him here? Once he starts growing, he'll be way to big to stay at Hogwarts! Besides, I thought dragons weren't allowed on the grounds?"

"Well the lady at the store says Drake will only grow to be about 2-3 feet long and Sev said that since it will stay relatively small, it should be fine at Hogwarts. He won't be allowed anywhere but Hagrid's hut for safety reasons until he's older, but I'm sure Hagrid won't mind me coming down to visit whenever I can! Isn't it great!"

I rambled on and on about how excited I was while Draco just smiled and nodded along. He'd gotten used to my incessant rambling last summer and knew there was no stopping me once I started. We all sat down at the dinner table as Dolly laid out the first course.

I sat facing Lucius and we stared at each other for a long while, before my attention was drawn back to Drake. He'd finally woken up. Draco and I spent the rest of the time at the dinner table feeding Drake small pieces of meat that Dolly had set aside for him. I beamed as Drake gobbled up the food from my hands while being cautious so as not to accidentally bite my fingers.

After dinner, we retired to the living room and Draco and I tossed paper balls into the air for Drake to ignite.  
We started a competition to see who could do the coolest trick shots while Sev and Draco's parents sat on the couch discussing who knows what. I won, of course!

When it was time for bed, we all said goodbye to one another; I glared one last time at Lucius, then made my way up to my room. I grabbed one of my throw pillows and placed it on my bedside table. Lifting Drake off my shoulder, I watched as he ruffled his scales and chased his tail in circles a few times before settling his deep sea-green body into a ball in the center of the pillow.

I smiled lazily and curled up in my own bed for the night as I continued to watch him until the calm of sleep finally washed over me.

\----------------------------------------------

I spent the last few weeks before September 1st playing with Drake and my godfather as often as I could. About two days after Draco had come over, Sev had read something in the Daily Prophet that had seemed to set him off. I asked him what was wrong but he refused to tell me.

From what I managed to read from the Prophet before Sev had snatched it out of sight, some man named Sirius Black; who had apparently escaped from Azkaban prison a week or so ago, had been spotted in a small village near Diagon Alley, not too far from Spinner's End.

After that, Sev wouldn't allow me outside of the house unless he was accompanying me. I was stuck all alone with Dolly and Drake while he left periodically for long periods of time to meet with 'old acquaintances' of his. He still managed to come home and play a few rounds of wizards chess with me before bed every night, but I still felt like I barely got to see him.

He said what he was doing was necessary and important; that he was helping in the search for an escaped convict as well as working with grandfather to boost security at Hogwarts, but he wouldn't explain why it was necessary. It was seriously frustrating! But I knew better than to pester Sev about it. He hadn't gotten his reputation by being easily approachable!

So instead of sulking and dwelling on being stuck inside, I spent my time bonding with Drake. There was so much about him that fascinated me! One day he would be the same shade of green as when I'd first gotten him, and the next, he would flash a brilliant orange or fade to a faint pinkish shade. I wasn't sure if I was right, but I think his color reflected his emotions.

He also reminded me of Fawkes, grandfather's Phoenix. He seemed able to carry heavier loads then appearances would imply and he was crazy fast. I would get dizzy watching him zoom in circles around me. By the time September 1st had rolled around, he was half a foot long and barely fit into the palm of my hand anymore.

Sev helped me pack up my things and dropped me off at Platform 9 3/4 before he apparated to Hogsmead and made his own way back to the school. Draco helped me lift my trunks onto the train and went off in search of Crabbe and Goyle while I searched for Harry, Ron, and Hermione. I found them sitting in the back of the train in the last compartment. There was an older travel-worn man asleep on one side, who Hermione said must be a new teacher.

I glanced at him curiously but he was fast asleep and I quickly got bored of watching him. I turned to ask Harry how his summer had gone when I realized he was already staring at me with an odd expression on his face. I tilted my head in confusion but it was quickly replaced with a different look as he told us all about blowing up his aunt. I figured I must have been mistake and burst out laughing as Harry reenacted the scene.

My face turned serious afterwards as he retold what he had overheard while staying at the leaky cauldron though.

"So...so Sirius Black escaped to come after you!" I gasped as I heard the news. No wonder Sev and grandfather had been so focused on amping up the security at Hogwarts!

"Yeah, that's what Ron's dad said. Though it seemed like there was someone else who he was after besides me, but I didn't catch a name..."

We looked around curiously as the train suddenly began to slow down. Surely we hadn't already arrived!

(Comment your thoughts! Never sure if these original chapters turn out as great as they were in my head! Lol)


	3. Dementors

Katrina's POV

"What's going on?" said Ron's voice from beside Harry.

"Ouch!" gasped Hermione. "Ron, that was my foot!"

I felt my way back to my seat.

"D'you think we've broken down?"

"Dunno..."

There was a squeaking sound, and I saw the dim black outline of Ron, wiping a patch clean on the window and peering out.

"There's something moving out there," Ron said. "I think people are coming aboard..."

The compartment door suddenly opened and someone fell painfully over my legs.

"Sorry-d'you know what's going on?-Ouch-sorry-"

"Hullo, Neville," I said, feeling around in the dark and pulling Neville up by his cloak.

"Kat? Is that you? What's happening?"

"No idea-sit down-"

There was a loud hissing and a yelp of pain; Neville had tried to sit on Crookshanks.

"I'm going to go and ask the driver what's going on," came Hermione's voice. I felt her pass me, heard the door slide open again, and then a thud and two loud squeals of pain.

"Who's that?"

"Who's that?"

"Ginny?"

"Hermione?"

"What are you doing?"

"I was looking for Ron-"

"Come in and sit down-"

"Not here!" I heard Harry gasp hurriedly. "I'm here!"

"Ouch!" said Neville.

"Quiet!" said a hoarse voice suddenly.

Professor Lupin appeared to have woken up at last. I could hear movements in his corner. None of us spoke.

There was a soft, crackling noise, and a shivering light filled the compartment. Professor Lupin appeared to be holding a handful of flames. They illuminated his tired, gray face, but his eyes looked alert and wary.

"Stay where you are," he said in the same hoarse voice, and he got slowly to his feet with his handful of fire held out in front of him.

But the door slid slowly open before Lupin could reach it.

Standing in the doorway, illuminated by the shivering flames in Lupin's hand, was a cloaked figure that towered to the ceiling. Its face was completely hidden beneath its hood. My eyes darted downward, and what I saw made my stomach contract. There was a hand protruding from the cloak and it was glistening, grayish, slimy-looking, and scabbed, like something dead that had decayed in water...

But it was visible only for a split second. As though the creature beneath the cloak sensed my gaze, the hand was suddenly withdrawn into the folds of its black cloak.

And then the thing beneath the hood, whatever it was, drew a long, slow, rattling breath, as though it were trying to suck something more than air from its surroundings.

An intense cold swept over my body. I felt my breath catch in my chest. The cold went deeper than my skin. It was inside my chest, it was inside my very heart...

My eyes rolled up into my head. I couldn't see. I was drowning in cold. There was a rushing in my ears as though of water. I was being dragged downward, the roaring growing louder...

And then, from far away, I heard screaming, terrible, terrified, pleading screams. I wanted to help whoever it was, I tried to move my arms, but couldn't...a thick white fog was swirling around me, inside me -

"Harry! Katrina! Are you all right?"

Someone was slapping my face.

"W-what?"

I opened my eyes; there were lanterns above me, and the floor was shaking-the Hogwarts Express was moving again and the lights had come back on. I seemed to have slid out of my seat onto the floor. Ron and Hermione were kneeling next to me and Harry; who was also lying on the ground.

Above me, I could see Neville and Professor Lupin watching. I slowly crawled back onto the seat, fighting the rising nausea.

"Are you two okay?" Ron asked nervously.

"Yeah," said Harry, as I nodded alongside him.

"What happened? Where's that-that thing? Who screamed?"

"No one screamed," said Ron, more nervously still.

"Yes they did! There was a woman shouting! She sounded terrified!" I piped up.

A loud snap made us all jump. Professor Lupin was breaking an enormous slab of chocolate into pieces.

"Here," he said, handing me a particularly large piece. "Eat it. It'll help."

I took the chocolate but didn't eat it.

"What was that thing?" Harry and I said together. I looked at him but he was gazing intently at Lupin.

"A dementor," said Lupin, who was now giving chocolate to everyone else. "One of the dementors of Azkaban."

Everyone stared at him. Professor Lupin crumpled up the empty chocolate wrapper and put it in his pocket.

"Eat," he repeated. "It'll help. I need to speak to the driver, excuse me..."

He strolled past us and disappeared into the corridor.

"Are you sure you're okay, Katrina, Harry?" said Hermione, watching us anxiously.

"I don't get it...What happened?" said Harry, wiping sweat off his face.

"Well-that thing-the dementor-stood there and looked around (I mean, I think it did, I couldn't see its face)-and you two-you-"

"I thought you were having a fit or something," said Ron, who still looked scared. "You both went sort of rigid and fell out of your seats and started twitching-"

"And Professor Lupin stepped over you, and walked toward the dementor, and pulled out his wand," said Hermione, "and he said, 'None of us is hiding Sirius Black under our cloaks. Go.' But the dementor didn't move, so Lupin muttered something, and a silvery thing shot out of his wand at it, and it turned around and sort of glided away..."

"It was horrible," said Neville, in a higher voice than usual. "Did you feel how cold it got when it came in?"

"I felt weird," said Ron, shifting his shoulders uncomfortably. "Like I'd never be cheerful again..."

Ginny, who was huddled in her corner looking nearly as bad as I felt, gave a small sob; Hermione went over and put a comforting arm around her.

"But didn't any of you-fall off your seats?" said Harry awkwardly.

"Well clearly I did!" I said gesturing to myself.

"Yeah, well...I clearly meant besides you!" I frowned at the harsh tone in his voice and looked down. It almost sounded like he was mad at me! Did he not care at all that I had fainted just like he had?!

"No," said Ron, looking anxious again. "Ginny was shaking like mad, though..."

I didn't understand. I felt weak and shivery, as though I were recovering from a bad bout of flu; I also felt the beginnings of shame. Why had I gone to pieces like that, when no one else but Harry had?

"This is just like the voices last year..." I mumbled sadly as I twisted a strand of my hair around my finger. I saw Harry look at me sharply but then turn his head to stare out the window. What was his problem!

Soon, Professor Lupin came back. He paused as he entered, looked around, and said, with a small smile, "I haven't poisoned that chocolate, you know..."

I took a bite and to my great surprise felt warmth spread suddenly to the tips of my fingers and toes.

"We'll be at Hogwarts in ten minutes," said Professor Lupin. "Are you all right, Katrina, Harry?"

I didn't ask how Professor Lupin knew my name.

"Fine," I muttered, embarrassed.

We didn't talk much during the remainder of the journey. At long last, the train stopped at Hogsmeade station, and there was a great scramble to get outside; owls hooted, cats meowed, and Neville's pet toad croaked loudly from under his hat. It was freezing on the tiny platform; rain was driving down in icy sheets.

"Firs' years this way!" called a familiar voice. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and I turned and saw the gigantic outline of Hagrid at the other end of the platform, beckoning the terrified-looking new students forward for their traditional journey across the lake.

"All righ', you four?" Hagrid yelled over the heads of the crowd. We waved at him, but had no chance to speak to him because the mass of people around us was shunting us away along the platform. We followed the rest of the school along the platform and out onto a rough mud track, where at least a hundred stagecoaches awaited the remaining students, each pulled, I could only assume, by an invisible horse, because when we climbed inside and shut the door, the coach set off all by itself, bumping and swaying in procession.

At last, the carriage swayed to a halt, and we all got out.

As I stepped down, a drawling, delighted voice sounded from behind,

"You fainted, Potter? Is Longbottom telling the truth? You actually fainted?"

Malfoy elbowed past Hermione to block Harry's way up the stone steps to the castle, his face gleeful and his pale eyes glinting maliciously.

"Shove off, Malfoy," said Ron, whose jaw was clenched.

"Did you faint as well, Weasley?" said Malfoy loudly. "Did the scary old dementor frighten you too, Weasley?"

"No, I did, Draco. Are you saying you think it's funny that I fainted?" I said glaring at my friend.

Draco's expression of glee shifted a little as he mumbled, "no, of course not..."

"Is there a problem?" said a mild voice. Professor Lupin had just gotten out of the next carriage.

Malfoy gave Professor Lupin an insolent stare, which took in the patches on his robes. I arched my brows at the look of disgust on his face. I swear! Sometimes he could be so...so arrogant!

"Oh, no-er-Professor," then he smirked at Crabbe and Goyle and led them up the steps into the castle.

Hermione prodded Ron in the back to make him hurry, and the four of us joined the crowd swarming up the steps, through the giant oak front doors, into the cavernous entrance hall, which was lit with flaming torches, and housed a magnificent marble staircase that led to the upper floors.

The door into the Great Hall stood open at the right; Harry followed the crowd toward it, but had barely glimpsed the enchanted ceiling, which was black and cloudy tonight, when a voice called, "Potter! Granger! Katrina! I want to see you three!"

We turned around, surprised. Professor McGonagall, Transfiguration teacher and head of Gryffindor House, was calling over the heads of the crowd. She was a stern-looking witch who wore her hair in a tight bun; her sharp eyes were framed with square spectacles. She was usually very nice to me though and let me call her Minnie when we were alone. We fought our way over to her with a feeling of foreboding: what had we done wrong this time!

"There's no need to look so worried-I just want a word in my office," she told them. "Move along there, Weasley."

Ron stared as Professor McGonagall ushered Harry, Hermione, and I away from the chattering crowd; we accompanied her across the entrance hall, up the marble staircase, and along a corridor.

Once we were in her office, a small room with a large, welcoming fire, Professor McGonagall motioned us to sit down. She settled herself behind her desk and said abruptly, "Professor Lupin sent an owl ahead to say that you were taken ill on the train, Katrina, Potter."

Before I could reply, there was a soft knock on the door and Madam Pomfrey, the nurse, came bustling in.

I felt myself going red in the face. It was bad enough that I'd passed out, or whatever Harry and I had done, without everyone making all this fuss.

"I'm fine," I said, "I don't need anything-"

"Oh, it's you two, is it?" said Madam Pomfrey, ignoring this and bending down to stare closely at me. "I suppose you've been doing something dangerous again?"

"It was a dementor, Poppy," said Minnie quietly.

They exchanged a dark look, and Madam Pomfrey clucked disapprovingly.

"Setting dementors around a school," she muttered, pushing back my dark brown hair and feeling my forehead. "They won't be the only ones to collapse. Yes, they are all clammy. Terrible things, they are, and the effect they have on people who are already delicate-"

"I'm not delicate!" said Harry and I crossly; again shouting at the same time. It definitely had become an unintentional habit of ours.

"Of course you're not," said Madam Pomfrey absentmindedly, now taking Harry's pulse.

"What do they need?" said Minnie crisply. "Bed rest? Should they perhaps spend tonight in the hospital wing?"

"I'm fine!" I said, jumping up. I really didn't want to stay there tonight, or ever, if it could be avoided. I didn't like feeling useless, as one often feels when lying in a hospital bed.

"Well, they should have some chocolate, at the very least," said Madam Pomfrey, who was now trying to peer into Harry's eyes.

"We've already had some," said Harry. "Professor Lupin gave us some. He gave it to all of us."

"Did he, now?" said Madam Pomfrey approvingly. "So we've finally got a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher who knows his remedies?"

"Are you sure you feel all right, Kat dear? Potter?" Minnie said sharply, looking at me with a stern but caring gaze.

"Yes," said Harry. I nodded in agreement.

"Very well. Kindly wait outside, Potter while I have a quick word with Miss Granger and Katrin about their course schedules, then we can go down to the feast together."

Harry went back into the corridor with Madam Pomfrey, while Hermione entered the room. Minnie then explained to us that since we had requested to take so many classes this year; and were such stellar students, she had managed to convince the Ministry to let us use these devices called time turners which would apparently allow Hermione to turn back time so that we could go to all of our classes.

She explained to us all the rules that came with using them and made us swear not to tell anyone that we had them. We hurriedly swore to keep it a secret and the four of us made our way back down the marble staircase to the Great Hall.

It was a sea of pointed black hats; each of the long House tables was lined with students, their faces glimmering by the light of thousands of candles, which were floating over the tables in midair. Professor Flitwick, who was a tiny little wizard with a shock of white hair, was carrying an ancient hat and a three-legged stool out of the hall.

"Oh," said Hermione softly, "we've missed the Sorting!"

New students at Hogwarts were sorted into Houses by trying on the Sorting Hat, which shouted out the House they were best suited to (Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, or Slytherin). Minnie strode off toward her empty seat at the staff table, and we set off in the other direction, as quietly as possible, toward the Gryffindor table.

People looked around at us as we passed along the back of the hall, and a few of them pointed at Harry. Had the story of us collapsing in front of the dementor traveled that fast?

He and Hermione sat down on either side of Ron, who had saved us seats. I sat on Hermione's right; farthest from Harry. He didn't seem to want to talk to me for some reason so I figured it would be best to give him his space until he decided to tell me what was up.

"What was all that about?" Ron muttered to Harry.

Harry started to explain in a whisper, but at that moment grandfather stood up to speak, and he broke off.

My Grandfather, though very old, always gave an impression of great energy. He had several feet of long silver hair and beard, half-moon spectacles, and an extremely crooked nose. He was often described as the greatest wizard of the age, but that wasn't why I respected him. You couldn't help trusting Albus Dumbledore, and as I watched him beaming around at the students, I felt really calm for the first time since the dementor had entered the train compartment. I beamed up at my grandfather as I thought about how proud I was to be related to such an amazing wizard.

"Welcome!" said Dumbledore, the candlelight shimmering on his beard. "Welcome to another year at Hogwarts! I have a few things to say to you all, and as one of them is very serious, I think it best to get it out of the way before you become befuddled by our excellent feast..."

Dumbledore cleared his throat and continued, "As you will all be aware after their search of the Hogwarts Express, our school is presently playing host to some of the dementors of Azkaban, who are here on Ministry of Magic business."

He paused, and I could tell from the expression on his face, that he was not happy with the dementors guarding the school.

"They are stationed at every entrance to the grounds," Dumbledore continued, "and while they are with us, I must make it plain that nobody is to leave school without permission. Dementors are not to be fooled by tricks or disguises-or even Invisibility Cloaks," he added blandly, and I saw Harry and Ron glanced at each other. "It is not in the nature of a dementor to understand pleading or excuses. I therefore warn each and every one of you to give them no reason to harm you. I look to the prefects, and our new Head Boy and Girl, to make sure that no student runs afoul of the dementors," he said.

Percy, who was sitting a few seats down from Harry, puffed out his chest again and stared around impressively. Grandfather paused again; he looked very seriously around the hall, and nobody moved or made a sound.

"On a happier note," he continued, "I am pleased to welcome two new teachers to our ranks this year.

"First, Professor Lupin, who has kindly consented to fill the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."

There was some scattered, rather unenthusiastic applause. Only those of us who had been in the compartment on the train with Professor Lupin clapped hard, myself included. Professor Lupin looked particularly shabby next to all the other teachers in their best robes.

"As to our second new appointment," Dumbledore continued as the lukewarm applause for Professor Lupin died away. "Well, I am sorry to tell you that Professor Kettleburn, our Care of Magical Creatures teacher, retired at the end of last year in order to enjoy more time with his remaining limbs. However, I am delighted to say that his place will be filled by none other than Rubeus Hagrid, who has agreed to take on this teaching job in addition to his gamekeeping duties."

Harry, Ron, Hermione, and I stared at one another, stunned. Then we joined in with the applause, which was tumultuous at the Gryffindor table in particular. I leaned forward to see Hagrid, who was ruby-red in the face and staring down at his enormous hands, his wide grin hidden in the tangle of his black beard.

"We should've known!" Ron roared, pounding the table. "Who else would have assigned us a biting book?"

The four of us were the last to stop clapping, and as Professor Dumbledore started speaking again, we saw that Hagrid was wiping his eyes on the tablecloth.

"Well, I think that's everything of importance," said grandfather. "Let the feast begin!"

The golden plates and goblets before us filled suddenly with food and drink. I, suddenly ravenous, helped myself to everything I could reach and began to eat.

It was a delicious feast; the hall echoed with talk, laughter, and the clatter of knives and forks. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and I, however, were eager for it to finish so that we could talk to Hagrid. We knew how much being made a teacher would mean to him. Hagrid wasn't a fully qualified wizard; he had been expelled from Hogwarts in his third year for a crime he had not committed. It had been Harry, Ron, and Hermione who had cleared Hagrid's name last year. I would have gladly helped but I'd been taken prisoner at the time...

At long last, when the last morsels of pumpkin tart had melted from the golden platters, Dumbledore gave the word that it was time for us all to go to bed, and we got our chance.

"Congratulations, Hagrid!" Hermione squealed as we reached the teachers' table.

"All down ter you three," said Hagrid, wiping his shining face on his napkin as he looked up at my friends. "Can' believe it...great man, Dumbledore...came straight down to me hut after Professor Kettleburn said he'd had enough...It's what I always wanted..."

Overcome with emotion, he buried his face in his napkin, and Minnie shooed us away. I wanted to ask Hagrid about Drake and how he was doing, but figured I could always stop by tomorrow evening.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione joined the Gryffindors streaming up the marble staircase while I waved goodbye and made my way to my own personal dormitory. It was great having my own place but I would give it up in a heartbeat if it meant that I had gotten sorted into an actual house my first year.

My stuff had been delivered to my room already so I set about unpacking then climbed into bed, exhausted but excited to be home again.


	4. Back at School

Katrina's POV

"Ooh, good, we're starting some new subjects today," I said happily to Hermione as I looked over our new schedules.

"Kat, Hermione," said Ron, frowning as he looked over our shoulders, "they've messed up your schedules. Look - they've got you down for about ten subjects a day. There isn't enough time."

"We'll manage. We've fixed it all with Professor McGonagall."

"But look," said Ron, laughing, "see this morning? Nine o'clock, Divination. And underneath, nine o'clock, Muggle Studies. And," - Ron leaned closer to the schedule, disbelieving - "look - underneath that, Arithmancy, nine o'clock. I mean, I know you two are good, but no one's that good. How're you supposed to be in three classes at once?"

"Don't be silly," said Hermione shortly as I kept my mouth shut. "Of course we won't be in three classes at once."

"Well, then -"

"Pass the marmalade," said Hermione.

"But -"

"Oh, Ron, what's it to you if our schedule's are a bit full?" Hermione snapped. "I told you, we've fixed it all with Professor McGonagall."

Just then, Hagrid entered the Great Hall. He was wearing his long moleskin overcoat and was absentmindedly swinging a dead polecat from one enormous hand.

"All righ'?" he said eagerly, pausing on the way to the staff table. "Yer in my firs' ever lesson! Right after lunch! Bin up since five gettin' everythin' ready...Hope it's okay...Me, a teacher...hones'ly..."

He grinned broadly at us and headed off to the staff table, still swinging the polecat.

"Wonder what he's been getting ready?" said Ron, a note of anxiety in his voice.

The hall was starting to empty as people headed off toward their first lessons. Ron checked his course schedule.

"We'd better go, look, Divination's at the top of North Tower. It'll take us ten minutes to get there..."

We finished our breakfasts hastily, said good-bye to Fred and George, and walked back through the hall. When neither Ron or Harry were paying attention, Hermione and I ducked behind a pillar and dashed off to Muggle Studies.

The class turned out to be just as fascinating as I thought it would. Hermione and I had both been interested to see how the muggle world was seen from the eyes of wizards. After the class was over, we used the time turners to go back and rushed off to Arithmancy; which was just as captivating of a class.

Then it was time to join the boys. We went back and reappeared next to the original pillar we had disappeared behind. We rejoined Harry and Ron and it was clear that they hadn't noticed our absence and we went off to try and find the Divination classroom.

The journey through the castle to North Tower was a long one.

"There's-got-to-be-a-shortcut," Ron panted as we climbed out seventh long staircase and emerged on an unfamiliar landing, where there was nothing but a large painting of a bare stretch of grass hanging on the stone wall.

"I think it's this way," said Hermione, peering down the empty passage to the right.

"Can't be," said Ron. "That's south, look, you can see a bit of the lake out of the window..."

Harry and I were watching the painting. A fat, dapple-gray pony had just ambled onto the grass and was grazing nonchalantly. A moment later, a short, squat knight in a suit of armor clanked into the picture after his pony. By the look of the grass stains on his metal knees, he had just fallen off.

"Aha!" he yelled as his eyes fell on us. "What villains are these, that trespass upon my private lands! Come to scorn at my fall, perchance? Draw, you knaves, you dogs!"

We watched in astonishment as the little knight tugged his sword out of its scabbard and began brandishing it violently, hopping up and down in rage. But the sword was too long for him; a particularly wild swing made him overbalance, and he landed facedown in the grass.

"Are you all right?" I said, moving closer to the picture.

"Get back!"

The knight seized his sword again and used it to push himself back up, but the blade sank deeply into the grass and, though he pulled with all his might, he couldn't get it out again. Finally, he had to flop back down onto the grass and push up his visor to mop his sweating face.

"Listen," said Harry, taking advantage of the knight's exhaustion, "we're looking for the North Tower. You don't know the way, do you?"

"A quest!" The knight's rage seemed to vanish instantly. He clanked to his feet and shouted, "Come follow me, dear friends, and we shall find our goal, or else shall perish bravely in the charge!"

He gave the sword another fruitless tug, tried and failed to mount the fat pony, gave up, and cried, "On foot then, good sirs and gentle ladies! On! On!"

We hurried after him along the corridor, following the sound of his armor. Every now and then we spotted him running through a picture ahead.

"Be of stout heart, the worst is yet to come!" yelled the knight, and we saw him reappear in front of an alarmed group of women in crinolines, whose picture hung on the wall of a narrow spiral staircase.

Puffing loudly, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and I climbed the tightly spiraling steps, getting dizzier and dizzier, until at last we heard the murmur of voices above them and knew we had reached the classroom.

"Farewell!" cried the knight, popping his head into a painting of some sinister-looking monks. "Farewell, my comrades-in-arms! If ever you have need of noble heart and steely sinew, call upon Sir Cadogan!"

"Yeah, we'll call you," muttered Ron as the knight disappeared, "if we ever need someone mental." I tried to contain a giggle as I heard him say this.

We climbed the last few steps and emerged onto a tiny landing, where most of the class was already assembled. There were no doors off this landing, but on the ceiling there was a circular trapdoor with a brass plaque on it.

"'Sibyll Trelawney, Divination teacher,'" Harry read out loud. "How're we supposed to get up there?"

As though in answer to his question, the trapdoor suddenly opened, and a silvery ladder descended right at my feet. Everyone got quiet.

"After you," said Ron, grinning at me, so I climbed the ladder first.

I emerged into the strangest-looking classroom I had ever seen. In fact, it didn't look like a classroom at all, more like a cross between someone's attic and an old-fashioned tea shop. At least twenty small, circular tables were crammed inside it, all surrounded by chintz armchairs and fat little poufs.

Everything was lit with a dim, crimson light; the curtains at the windows were all closed, and the many lamps were draped with dark red scarves. It was stiflingly warm, and the fire that was burning under the crowded mantelpiece was giving off a heavy, sickly sort of perfume as it heated a large copper kettle. The shelves running around the circular walls were crammed with dusty-looking feathers, stubs of candles, many packs of tattered playing cards, countless silvery crystal balls, and a huge array of teacups.

Ron appeared at my shoulder as the class assembled around us, all talking in whispers.

"Where is she?" Ron said.

A voice came suddenly out of the shadows, a soft, misty sort of voice.

"Welcome," it said. "How nice to see you in the physical world at last."

My immediate impression was of a large, glittering insect. Professor Trelawney moved into the firelight, and we saw that she was very thin; her large glasses magnified her eyes to several times their natural size, and she was draped in a gauzy spangled shawl. Innumerable chains and beads hung around her spindly neck, and her arms and hands were encrusted with bangles and rings.

"Sit, my children, sit," she said, and we all climbed awkwardly into armchairs or sank onto poufs. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and I sat ourselves around the same round table.

"Welcome to Divination," said Professor Trelawney, who had seated herself in a winged armchair in front of the fire. "My name is Professor Trelawney. You may not have seen me before. I find that descending too often into the hustle and bustle of the main school clouds my Inner Eye."

Nobody said anything to this extraordinary pronouncement. Professor Trelawney delicately rearranged her shawl and continued, "So you have chosen to study Divination, the most difficult of all magical arts. I must warn you at the outset that if you do not have the Sight, there is very little I will be able to teach you. Books can take you only so far in this field..."

At these words, both Harry and Ron glanced, grinning, at Hermione and I, who looked startled at the news that books wouldn't be much help to us in this subject.

"Many witches and wizards, talented though they are in the area of loud bangs and smells and sudden disappearings, are yet unable to penetrate the veiled mysteries of the future," Professor Trelawney went on, her enormous, gleaming eyes moving from face to nervous face. "It is a Gift granted to few. You, boy," she said suddenly to Neville, who almost toppled off his pouf. "Is your grandmother well?"

"I think so," said Neville tremulously.

"I wouldn't be so sure if I were you, dear," said Professor Trelawney, the firelight glinting on her long emerald earrings. Neville gulped. Professor Trelawney continued placidly. "We will be covering the basic methods of Divination this year. The first term will be devoted to reading the tea leaves. Next term we shall progress to palmistry. By the way, my dear," she shot suddenly at Parvati Patil, "beware a red-haired man."

Parvati gave a startled look at Ron, who was right behind her, and edged her chair away from him. I put a hand to my mouth to stop another giggle from escaping.

"In the second term," Professor Trelawney went on, "we shall progress to the crystal ball - if we have finished with fire omens, that is. Unfortunately, classes will be disrupted in February by a nasty bout of flu. I myself will lose my voice. And around Easter, one of our number will leave us forever."

A very tense silence followed this pronouncement, but Professor Trelawney seemed unaware of it.

"I wonder, dear," she said to Lavender Brown, who was nearest and shrank back in her chair, "if you could pass me the largest silver teapot?"

Lavender, looking relieved, stood up, took an enormous teapot from the shelf, and put it down on the table in front of Professor Trelawney.

"Thank you, my dear. Incidentally, that thing you are dreading - it will happen on Friday the sixteenth of October."

Lavender trembled.

"Now, I want you all to divide into pairs. Collect a teacup from the shelf, come to me, and I will fill it. Then sit down and drink, drink until only the dregs remain. Swill these around the cup three times with the left hand, then turn the cup upside down on its saucer, wait for the last of the tea to drain away, then give your cup to your partner to read. You will interpret the patterns using pages five and six of Unfogging the Future. I shall move among you, helping and instructing. Oh, and dear" - she caught Neville by the arm as he made to stand up - "after you've broken your first cup, would you be so kind as to select one of the blue patterned ones? I'm rather attached to the pink."

Sure enough, Neville had no sooner reached the shelf of teacups when there was a tinkle of breaking china. Professor Trelawney swept over to him holding a dustpan and brush and said, "One of the blue ones, then, dear, if you wouldn't mind...thank you..."

When Hermione and I had our teacups filled, we went back to the table and tried to drink the scalding tea quickly. We swilled the dregs around as Professor Trelawney had instructed, then drained the cups and swapped over.

"Right," said Hermione as we both opened our books to pages five and six. "What can you see in mine?"

"A load of soggy brown stuff," I said. The heavily perfumed smoke in the room was making me feel sleepy and stupid.

"Broaden your minds, my dears, and allow your eyes to see past the mundane!" Professor Trelawney cried through the gloom.

I tried to pull myself together as Hermione started to analyze my cup.

"Right, you've got a crooked sort of cross..." She consulted Unfogging the Future. "That means you're going to have 'trials and suffering' - what nonsense! There's also something that looks like some sort of an animal? Maybe a turtle?" It says that means that your time is slowing down and reaching its end - oh please, this is total dragon dung!" She said shutting the book with a snap.

Professor Trelawney whirled around as Harry and I burst out laughing; me at the expression on Hermione's face, and Harry at something Ron must have said.

"Let me see those, my dears," she said reprovingly to Ron and Hermione, sweeping over and snatching our cups from them. Everyone went quiet to watch.

Professor Trelawney was staring into the teacups, rotating them counterclockwise.

"The falcon...my dears, you have a deadly enemy."

"But everyone knows that," said Hermione in a loud whisper. Professor Trelawney stared at her.

"Well, they do," said Hermione. "Everybody knows about Harry, Katrina, and You-Know-Who."

Professor Trelawney chose not to reply. She lowered her head to the cups again and continued to turn them.

"The club...an attack. Dear, dear, these are not happy cups...the skull...danger in your path, my dear..."

Everyone was staring, transfixed, at Professor Trelawney, who gave the cups a final turn, gasped, and then screamed.

There was another tinkle of breaking china; Neville had smashed his second cup. Professor Trelawney sank into a vacant armchair, her glittering hand at her heart and her eyes closed.

"My dear boy... my poor, dear girl, no... it is kinder not to say...no...don't ask me..."

"What is it, Professor?" said Dean Thomas at once. Everyone had got to their feet, and slowly they crowded around our table, pressing close to Professor Trelawney's chair to get a good look at our cups.

"My dears," Professor Trelawney's huge eyes opened dramatically, "you have the Grim."


	5. Buckbeak

Katrina's POV

"The what?" said Harry and I together.

I could tell that we weren't the only ones who didn't understand; Dean Thomas shrugged at me and Lavender Brown looked puzzled, but nearly everybody else clapped their hands to their mouths in horror.

"The Grim, my dears, the Grim!" cried Professor Trelawney, who looked shocked that we hadn't understood. "The giant, spectral dog that haunts churchyards! My dears, it is an omen - the worst omen - of death!" 

My stomach lurched. That dog at Diagon Alley! Lavender Brown clapped her hands to her mouth too. Everyone was looking at Harry and I, everyone except Hermione, who had gotten up and moved around to the back of Professor Trelawney's chair.

"I don't think it looks like a Grim," she said flatly.

Professor Trelawney surveyed Hermione with mounting dislike.

"You'll forgive me for saying so, my dear, but I perceive very little aura around you. Very little receptivity to the resonances of the future."

Seamus Finnigan was tilting his head from side to side.

"It looks like a Grim if you do this," he said, with his eyes almost shut, "but it looks more like a donkey from here," he said, leaning to the left.

"When you've all finished deciding whether we're going to die or not!" said Harry, I looked at him in surprise.

"I think we will leave the lesson here for today," said Professor Trelawney in her mistiest voice. "Yes...please pack away your things..."

Silently we took our teacups back to Professor Trelawney, packed away our books, and closed our bags. Even Ron was avoiding my eyes.

"Until we meet again," said Professor Trelawney faintly, "fair fortune be yours. Oh, and dear" - she pointed at Neville -"you'll be late next time, so mind you work extra-hard to catch up."

Harry, Ron, Hermione, and I descended Professor Trelawney's ladder and the winding stair in silence, then set off for Minnie's Transfiguration lesson. It took us so long to find her classroom that, early as we had left Divination, we were only just in time.

Harry and I chose seats right at the back of the room, feeling as though we were sitting in a very bright spotlight; the rest of the class kept shooting furtive glances at us, as though we were about to drop dead at any moment. I tried to pay attention as Minnie was telling us about Animagi (wizards who could transform at will into animals), and was one of the few people who clapped when she transformed herself in front of our eyes into a tabby cat with spectacle markings around her eyes. How cool would that be? I wish I could transform into something! But according to Minnie, it was extremely difficult to achieve and there weren't many who could do it.

"Really, what has got into you all today?" said Minnie, turning back into herself with a faint pop, and staring around at us. "Not that it matters, but that's the first time my transformation's not got applause from a class."

Everybody's heads turned toward Harry and I again, but nobody spoke. Then Hermione raised her hand.

"Please, Professor, we've just had our first Divination class, and we were reading the tea leaves, and -"

"Ah, of course," said Minnie, suddenly frowning. "There is no need to say any more, Miss Granger. Tell me, which of you will be dying this year?"

Everyone stared at her.

"Me," said Harry, finally.

"And me..." I added in the silence that had followed his statement. Minnie's head whipped around to look at me.

"I see," she said, focusing on Harry, rather than looking at me. "Then you two should know, that Sibyll Trelawney has predicted the death of one student a year since she arrived at this school. None of them has died yet. Seeing death omens is her favorite way of greeting a new class. If it were not for the fact that I never speak ill of my colleagues -"

Minnie broke off, and we saw that her nostrils had gone white. She went on, more calmly, "Divination is one of the most imprecise branches of magic. I shall not conceal from you that I have very little patience with it. True Seers are very rare, and Professor Trelawney -"

She stopped again, and then said, in a very matter-of-fact tone, "You two look in excellent health to me, so you will excuse me if I don't let you off homework today. I assure you that if either of you die, you need not hand it in." As hard as she was trying to play it off, I could tell that the news had rattled Minnie.

When the Transfiguration class had finished, I stayed back so I could talk to her.

"Minnie, if there's nothing to worry about, then why did you look so upset back there?" I asked, hesitantly.

"Nonsense, Kat! Nothing's going to happen to you!" Though her words were aimed at me, I got the feeling that they were more for her benefit. I opened my mouth to confront her, but she didn't give me the chance. "There's absolutely nothing wrong, Katrina, now kindly join your fellow students in the Great Hall for lunch!" I bowed my head and backed out of the room.

I found my three friends and sat down facing them on the opposite side of the table just as Hermione was telling Ron to cheer up.

Ron spooned stew onto his plate and picked up his fork but didn't start.

"Harry, Katrina," he said, in a low, serious voice, "you haven't seen a great black dog anywhere, have you?"

"Yeah, I have," I said at the same time as Harry. We looked at each other in surprise.

"I saw one the night I left the Dursleys'." Harry explained.

"I saw one when I went to get my school supplies in Diagon Alley."

Ron let his fork fall with a clatter.

"Probably strays," said Hermione calmly.

Ron looked at Hermione as though she had gone mad.

"Hermione, if Harry and Katrina have both seen a Grim, that's - I mean that can't be a coincidence! My - my uncle Bilius saw one and - and he died twenty-four hours later!"

"Coincidence," said Hermione airily, pouring herself some pumpkin juice.

"You don't know what you're talking about!" said Ron, starting to get angry. "Grims scare the living daylights out of most wizards!"

"There you are, then," said Hermione in a superior tone. "They see the Grim and die of fright. The Grim's not an omen, it's the cause of death! And Harry and Katrina are still with us because they're not stupid enough to see one and think, right, well, I'd better kick the bucket then!"

Ron mouthed wordlessly at Hermione, who opened her bag, took out her new Arithmancy book, and propped it open against the juice jug.

"I think Divination seems very woolly," she said, searching for her page. "A lot of guesswork, if you ask me."

"There was nothing woolly about the Grim in that cup!" said Ron hotly.

"You didn't seem quite so confident when you were telling Harry it was a sheep," said Hermione coolly.

"Professor Trelawney said you didn't have the right aura! You just don't like being bad at something for a change!"

I could tell he had touched a nerve. Hermione slammed her Arithmancy book down on the table so hard that bits of meat and carrot flew everywhere.

"If being good at Divination means I have to pretend to see death omens in a lump of tea leaves, I'm not sure I'll be studying it much longer! That lesson was absolute rubbish compared with our Arithmancy class!" She snatched up her bag and stalked away.

"Nice going, Ron!" I said, glaring at Ron. I gathered up my own things and chased after Hermione. We used our time-turners and headed off for our next class (can't remember the exact schedule so give me a break lol) before joining back up with Harry and Ron for our first Care of Magical Creatures class.

Ron and Hermione weren't speaking to each other and Harry kept glancing at me but not saying anything. What in Merlin's name was going on with him! I spotted Draco walking up ahead of us and with one last glance at Harry, ran forward to join him.

Hagrid was waiting for us at the door of his hut. He stood in his moleskin overcoat, with Fang the boarhound at his heels, looking impatient to start.

"C'mon, now, get a move on!" he called as we approached. "Got a real treat for yeh today! Great lesson comin' up! Everyone here? Right, follow me!"

For one nasty moment, I thought that Hagrid was going to lead us into the forest; however, Hagrid strolled off around the edge of the trees, and five minutes later, we found ourselves outside a kind of paddock. There was nothing in there.

"Everyone gather 'round the fence here!" he called. "That's it - make sure yeh can see - now, firs' thing yeh'll want ter do is open yer books -"

"How?" said Draco, in that cold drawling voice of his. I elbowed him in irritation.

"Eh?" said Hagrid.

"How do we open our books?" Draco repeated in a slightly less snippy tone. He took out his copy of The Monster Book of Monsters, which he had bound shut with a length of rope. Other people took theirs out too; some, like me, had belted their book shut; others had crammed them inside tight bags or clamped them together with binder clips.

"Hasn' - hasn' anyone bin able ter open their books?" said Hagrid, looking crestfallen.

We all all shook our heads.

"Yeh've got ter stroke 'em," said Hagrid, as though this was the most obvious thing in the world. "Look -"

He took Hermione's copy and ripped off the Spellotape that bound it. The book tried to bite, but Hagrid ran a giant forefinger down its spine, and the book shivered, and then fell open and lay quiet in his hand.

"Oh, how silly we've all been!" Malfoy sneered. "We should have stroked them! Why didn't we guess!" I elbowed him harder this time.

"I - I thought they were funny," Hagrid said uncertainly to Hermione.

"Oh, tremendously funny!" said Draco, "Really witty, giving us books that try and rip our hands off!" I elbowed him as hard as I could this time and with a yelp of pain, he finally closed his big mouth. I stared at him coldly before turning around and standing next to Hermione.

"Righ' then," said Hagrid, who seemed to have lost his thread, "so - so yeh've got yer books an' - an' - now yeh need the Magical Creatures. Yeah. So I'll go an' get 'em. Hang on..."

He strode away from us into the forest and out of sight.

"God, this place is going to the dogs," said Draco loudly. "That oaf teaching classes, my father'll have a fit when I tell him -" I was too far away to kick him so I had to settle for giving him the best death stare I could manage.

"Shut up, Malfoy," Harry said, loudly.

I continued to stare Draco down and he finally got the message and shut his mouth.

"Oooooooh!" squealed Lavender Brown, pointing toward the opposite side of the paddock.

Trotting towards us were a dozen of the most bizarre creatures I had ever seen. They had the bodies, hind legs, and tails of horses, but the front legs, wings, and heads of what seemed to be giant eagles, with cruel, steel-colored beaks and large, brilliantly orange eyes. The talons on their front legs were half a foot long and deadly looking. Each of the beasts had a thick leather collar around its neck, which was attached to a long chain, and the ends of all of these were held in the vast hands of Hagrid, who came jogging into the paddock behind the creatures.

"Gee up, there!" he roared, shaking the chains and urging the creatures toward the fence where we stood. We all drew back slightly as Hagrid reached us and tethered the creatures to the fence.

"Hippogriffs!" Hagrid roared happily, waving a hand at them. "Beau'iful, aren' they?"

I could sort of see what Hagrid meant. Once you got over the first shock of seeing something that was half horse, half bird, you started to appreciate the hippogriffs' gleaming coats, changing smoothly from feather to hair, each of them a different color: stormy gray, bronze, pinkish roan, gleaming chestnut, and inky black.

"So," said Hagrid, rubbing his hands together and beaming around, "if yeh wan' ter come a bit nearer -"

No one seemed to want to. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and I, however, approached the fence cautiously.

"Now, firs' thing yeh gotta know abou' hippogriffs is, they're proud," said Hagrid. "Easily offended, hippogriffs are. Don't never insult one, 'cause it might be the last thing yeh do. Yeh always wait fer the hippogriff ter make the firs' move," Hagrid continued. "It's polite, see? Yeh walk toward him, and yeh bow, an' yeh wait. If he bows back, yeh're allowed ter touch him. If he doesn' bow, then get away from him sharpish, 'cause those talons hurt.

We all stood back quickly as he said this.

"Right - who wants ter go first?" We all stood there in silence, no one wanting to volunteer.

"No one?" said Hagrid, with a pleading look.

"I'll do it," said Harry.

There was an intake of breath from behind us, and both Lavender and Parvati whispered, "Oooh, no, Harry, remember your tea leaves!"

Harry ignored them and climbed over the paddock fence.

"Good man, Harry!" roared Hagrid. "Right then - let's see how yeh get on with Buckbeak."

He untied one of the chains and lead the hippogriff named Buckbeak into the center of the paddock. We all watched as Harry slowly walked forward and bowed. After a horribly long pause, Buckbeak returned the gesture and we all clapped enthusiastically. Hagrid then suggested that Harry get on Buckbeak's back and the two of them soared up into the air.

"Good work, Harry!" roared Hagrid as we all cheered when Buckbeak touched back down. "Okay, who else wants a go?"

After watching Harry's success, the rest of us climbed cautiously into the paddock. Hagrid untied the hippogriffs one by one, and soon people were bowing nervously, all over the paddock. Neville ran repeatedly backward from his, which didn't seem to want to bend its knees. Ron and Hermione practiced on a chestnut, while Harry watched me interact with Buckbeak.

I was stroking Buckbeak's feathers when I felt something small and fast zoom past me and hit the animal in the side. I stepped back quickly as Buckbeak roared in anger and lifted himself onto his hind legs. My eyes widened and my heart froze as I saw their trajectory. I dived forward and knocked Harry out of harms way, landing on top of him as a sharp pain tore through my left shoulder.

My eyes met green and I blushed furiously as I tried to untangle myself. "I'm sorry! Are you okay, Harry!" I cried out as I finally managed to stand up.

"Yeah, I'm fine, just got the wind knocked out of me," Harry replied, still refusing to look at me. This irritated me - I had just saved him from who knows what and he still didn't have the guts to look at me for more than half a second! Ugh. I turned around to storm off but the hasty movement pulled at my shoulder and I couldn't help a small whimper from escaping.

"Kat! You're bleeding!" Hermione screamed as she ran forward to help steady me. "Hagrid! She has to be taken to Madam Pomfrey - immediately!"

Hagrid, who had been wrestling to get Buckbeak back under control, rushed over and picked me up in one quick movement. I yelled in shock and pain as my shoulder bumped into his chest.

"Sorry! Kat, sorry! Someone help me - gotta get her outta here -" the last thing I remember seeing was Hermione as she ran forward to hold open the gate for Hagrid.

\----------------------------------------------

Harry's POV

Very shaken, the Care of Magical Creatures class trooped back to the castle. The Slytherins were all shouting about Hagrid.

"They should fire him straight away!" said Pansy Parkinson, who was in tears.

"It was Malfoy's fault! I saw him throw a rock!" snapped Dean Thomas. Crabbe and Goyle flexed their muscles threateningly.

We all climbed the stone steps into the deserted entrance hall. The Slytherins, still muttering about Hagrid, headed away in the direction of their dungeon common room; while Ron, Hermione, and I proceeded upstairs to Gryffindor Tower.

"D'you think she'll be all right?" said Hermione nervously.

"'Course she will. Madam Pomfrey can mend cuts in about a second," said Ron.

"That was a really bad thing to happen in Hagrid's first class, though, wasn't it?" Hermione continued, looking worried. "Trust Malfoy to mess things up for him...not to mention, you could have seriously been injured, Harry!

We were among the first to reach the Great Hall at dinnertime, hoping to see Hagrid, but he wasn't there.

"They wouldn't fire him, would they?" said Hermione anxiously, not touching her steak-and-kidney pudding.

"They'd better not," said Ron, who wasn't eating either.

I was watching the Slytherin table. A large group including Malloy, Crabbe and Goyle were huddled together, deep in conversation. I was sure they were cooking up their own version of what had happened.

"Well, you can't say it wasn't an interesting first day back," said Ron gloomily.

We went up to the crowded Gryffindor common room after dinner and tried to do the homework Professor McGonagall had given us, but we kept breaking off and glancing out of the tower window.

"There's a light on in Hagrid's window," I said suddenly.

Ron looked at his watch.

"If we hurried, we could go down and see him. It's still quite early..."

"I don't know," Hermione said slowly, and I saw her glance at me.

"I'm allowed to walk across the grounds," I said pointedly. "Sirius Black hasn't got past the dementors yet, has he?"

So we put our things away and headed out of the portrait hole, glad to meet nobody on our way to the front doors, as we weren't entirely sure we were supposed to be out.

The grass was still wet and looked almost black in the twilight. When we reached Hagrid's hut, we knocked, and a voice growled, "C'min."

Hagrid was sitting in his shirtsleeves at his scrubbed wooden table; his boarhound, Fang, had his head in Hagrid's lap. One look told them that Hagrid had been drinking a lot; there was a pewter tankard almost as big as a bucket in front of him, and he seemed to be having difficulty getting them into focus.

"'Spect it's a record," he said thickly, when he recognized us. "Don' reckon they've ever had a teacher who lasted on'y a day before."

"You haven't been fired, Hagrid!" gasped Hermione.

"Not yet," said Hagrid miserably, taking a huge gulp of whatever was in the tankard. "But 's only a matter o' time, i'n't it, that Malfoy boy s'been shouting all sorts of threats about that father of his...not ter mention, Katrina!" Hagrid moaned and dropped his head to the table.

"How is she?" said Ron as we all sat down. "It wasn't serious, was it?"

"Madam Pomfrey fixed her best she could," said Hagrid dully, "but she lost a lot of blood...covered in bandages..." Hagrid moaned again.

"I'm sure she'll be fine in no time Hagrid! It's Kat, after all." There was a sudden flapping noise and something heavy landed on the table.

"Hagrid, is that what I think it is! I thought we went over this already! You live in a wooden house! You cannot raise a dragon in here!" Ron cried out as we all stared at the mass of moving limbs.

Hagrid sobbed loudly as he looked at the baby dragon. "His name is Drake...belongs to Kat...won't grow much bigger...allowed to be here..." Hagrid groaned and become incomprehensible after awhile so we just sat there in silence and watched the little dragon. I had to admit, he was fascinating to watch, though he looked sickly - his hide was a pale green and he was barely able to keep himself up right.

"School gov'nors have bin told, o' course," said Hagrid miserably after his sobs had died down. "They reckon I started too big. Shoulda left hippogriffs fer later...done flobberworms or summat...Jus' thought it'd make a good firs' lesson...'S all my fault..."

"It's all Malfoy's fault, Hagrid!" said Hermione earnestly.

"We're witnesses," said Harry. "You said hippogriffs attack if you insult them. It's Malfoy's problem that he wasn't listening. We'll tell Dumbledore what really happened! Dean said Malloy threw a rock at him! That's gotta count for something!"

"Yeah, don't worry, Hagrid, we'll back you up," said Ron.

Tears leaked out of the crinkled corners of Hagrid's beetle-black eyes. He grabbed both Ron and I, pulling us into a bone-breaking hug.

"I think you've had enough to drink, Hagrid," said Hermione firmly. She took the tankard from the table and went outside to empty it.

"Ar, maybe she's right," said Hagrid, finally letting go of us. Hagrid heaved himself out of his chair and followed Hermione unsteadily outside. We heard a loud splash.

"What's he done?" I said nervously as Hermione came back in with the empty tankard.

"Stuck his head in the water barrel," said Hermione, putting the tankard away.

Hagrid came back, his long hair and beard sopping wet, wiping the water out of his eyes.

"Tha's better," he said, shaking his head like a dog and drenching us all. "Listen, it was good of yeh ter come an' see me, I really -"

Hagrid stopped dead, staring at me as though he'd only just realized I was there.

"WHAT D'YEH THINK YOU'RE DOIN', EH?" he roared, so suddenly that we jumped a foot in the air. "YEH'RE NOT TO GO WANDERIN' AROUND AFTER DARK, HARRY! AN' YOU TWO! LETTIN' HIM!"

Hagrid strode over to me, grabbed his arm, and pulled me to the door.

"C'mon!" Hagrid said angrily. "I'm takin' yer all back up ter school, an' don' let me catch yeh walkin' down ter see me after dark again. I'm not worth that!"

\----------------------------------------------

The next morning, Hermione, Ron, and I woke up early and dashed to the hospital wing to check on Kat.

We sat by her bed and watched her - she was still sleeping and my mind was racing. I didn't know what to think. After what Dumbledore had told me at the end of last year...I just couldn't look at her the same. He had told me not to let it influence my opinion of her, but it wasn't possible. Her father was the reason I didn't have a father of my own - or a mother. He was the darkest and cruelest wizard the world had ever known, there was simply no way that none of that evil had been passed down to her.

Yet hadn't she just saved my life? And we both fought against Voldemort our first year. Why would she have done that if she was evil? - Yet what if it was all part of some secret plan to bring him back to power? Ugh! How could she possibly not know about her father? And if she really didn't, then as her best friend, could I really keep such a big secret from her! She would never speak to me again if she ever found out! But then, it would kill her if she ever did find out - assuming that she really wasn't anything like her father!

I ruffled my hair in frustration as we all got up and headed down to breakfast. I was completely torn and I couldn't ask anyone for advice without breaking my promise to Dumbledore! What in Merlin's name was I supposed to do now that I knew the truth?!


	6. Back to Class

Harry's POV

Katrina didn't reappear in classes until late on Thursday morning, when the Slytherins and Gryffindors were halfway through double Potions. She slipped into the dungeon, bandages peeping out from under the collar of her robes. The time that she'd been in the hospital wing hadn't helped me at all when it came to clarifying what the heck I was supposed to do around her. If anything, it had made it worse!

I hadn't been able to ignore her absence, which made me miss my best friend. But I didn't want to miss her! She was my number one enemy's daughter for Merlin's sake! As nice as she seemed now, it hadn't taken Riddle long to be able to turn her evil at the end of last year so what would stop him next time!

"Settle down, settle down," said Professor Snape idly as whispers broke out across the classroom.

Ron and I scowled at each other; Snape wouldn't have said "settle down" if we'd walked in late, he'd have given us detention. But Kat had always been able to get away with anything in Snape's classes; Snape clearly favored her above all other students.

We were making a new potion today, a Shrinking Solution. I watched out of the corner of my eyes as Kat set up her cauldron right next to Ron, so that we were preparing our ingredients on the same table.

I continued to watch wordlessly as she began to struggle to cut up her roots, but apparently I wasn't the only one.

"Weasley, cut up Katrina's roots for her," said Snape, and while there was no emotion in voice, his eyes surveyed her with worry.

"Potter, you can skin Katrina's shrivelfig," said Snape, giving me the look of loathing he always reserved just for me.

I took her shrivelfig as Ron began cutting her roots. I skinned the shrivelfig as fast as I could and flung it back across the table at Kat without speaking.

A few cauldrons away, Neville was in trouble. Neville regularly went to pieces in Potions lessons; it was his worst subject, and his great fear of Professor Snape made things ten times worse. His potion, which was supposed to be a bright, acid green, had turned -

"Orange, Longbottom," said Snape, ladling some up and allowing it to splash back into the cauldron, so that everyone could see. "Orange. Tell me, boy, does anything penetrate that thick skull of yours? Didn't you hear me say, quite clearly, that only one rat spleen was needed? Didn't I state plainly that a dash of leech juice would suffice? What do I have to do to make you understand, Longbottom?"

Neville was pink and trembling. He looked as though he was on the verge of tears.

"Please, sir," said Kat, "please, I could help Neville put it right -" (yes I know it was Hermione but I wanna expand on Kat's friendship with Neville so deal with it :p)

"That will not be necessary, Katrina," said Snape tonelessly, "Longbottom, at the end of this lesson we will feed a few drops of this potion to your toad and see what happens. Perhaps that will encourage you to do it properly."

Snape moved away, leaving Neville breathless with fear.

"Help me!" I heard him moan to Kat.

"Hey, Harry," said Seamus Finnigan, leaning over to borrow my brass scales, "have you heard? Daily Prophet this morning - they reckon Sirius Black's been sighted."

"Where?" Ron and I said quickly. On the other side of the table, Malfoy looked up, listening closely.

"Not too far from here," said Seamus, who looked excited. "It was a Muggle who saw him. 'Course, she didn't really understand. The Muggles think he's just an ordinary criminal, don't they? So she phoned the telephone hot line. By the time the Ministry of Magic got there, he was gone."

"Not too far from here...," Ron repeated, looking significantly at me. He turned around and saw Malfoy watching closely. "What, Malfoy?"

But Malfoy's eyes were shining malevolently, and they were fixed on me. He leaned across the table.

"Thinking of trying to catch Black single-handed, Potter?"

"Yeah, that's right," I said, offhandedly.

Malfoy's thin mouth was curving in a mean smile.

"Of course, if it was me," he said quietly, "I'd have done something before now. I wouldn't be staying in school like a good boy, I'd be out there looking for him."

"What are you talking about, Malfoy?" said Ron roughly.

"Don't you know, Potter?" breathed Malfoy, his pale eyes narrowed.

"Know what?"

Malfoy let out a low, sneering laugh.

"Maybe you'd rather not risk your neck," he said. "Want to leave it to the dementors, do you? But if it was me, I'd want revenge. I'd hunt him down myself; if not for revenge, at least to protect her from him!"

"What are you talking about?" I said angrily as Malfoy's eyes flickered to Kat, but at that moment Snape called, "You should have finished adding your ingredients by now; this potion needs to stew before it can be drunk, so clear away while it simmers and then we'll test Longbottom's..."

Crabbe and Goyle laughed openly, watching Neville sweat as he stirred his potion feverishly. Kat was muttering instructions to him out of the corner of her mouth, so that Snape wouldn't see. Ron and I packed away our unused ingredients and went to wash our hands and ladles in the stone basin in the corner.

"What did Malfoy mean?" I muttered to Ron as I stuck my hands under the icy jet that poured from the gargoyle's mouth. "Why would I want revenge on Black? He hasn't done anything to me - yet - and what was that about protecting someone!"

"He's making it up," said Ron savagely. "He's trying to make you do something stupid..."

The end of the lesson in sight, Snape strode over to Neville, who was cowering by his cauldron.

"Everyone gather 'round," said Snape, his black eyes glittering, "and watch what happens to Longbottom's toad. If he has managed to produce a Shrinking Solution, it will shrink to a tadpole. If, as I don't doubt, he has done it wrong, his toad is likely to be poisoned."

The Gryffindors watched fearfully. The Slytherins looked excited. Snape picked up Trevor the toad in his left hand and dipped a small spoon into Neville's potion, which was now green. He trickled a few drops down Trevor's throat.

There was a moment of hushed silence, in which Trevor gulped; then there was a small pop, and Trevor the tadpole was wriggling in Snape's palm.

The Gryffindors burst into applause. Snape, looking sour, pulled a small bottle from the pocket of his robe, poured a few drops on top of Trevor, and he reappeared suddenly, fully grown.

"Five points from Gryffindor," said Snape, which wiped the smiles from every face. "I told you not to help him, Katrina, now he must face the consequences - cheating will not be tolerated. Class dismissed."

Kat, Ron, Hermione, and I climbed the steps to the entrance hall. I was still thinking about what Malfoy had said, while Ron was seething about Snape.

"Five points from Gryffindor because the potion was all right! Why didn't you lie, Kat? You should've said Neville did it all by himself!"

Kat didn't answer. Ron looked around.

"Where is Kat? Where's Hermione?!"

I turned too. We were at the top of the steps now, watching the rest of the class pass us, heading for the Great Hall and lunch.

"They were right behind us," said Ron, frowning.

Malfoy passed us, walking between Crabbe and Goyle. He smirked at me and walked up to Ron and I.

"Seen your pal Hagrid lately?" he asked us quietly.

"None of your business," said Ron jerkily, without looking at him.

"I'm afraid he won't be a teacher much longer," said Malfoy in a tone of mock sorrow. "Father's not very happy about Kat's injury -"

"Keep talking, Malfoy, and I'll give you an injury," snarled Ron.

"- he's complained to the school governors. And to the Ministry of Magic. Father's got a lot of influence, you know -"

"So that's why you did it," I said, furiously. "To try to get Hagrid fired."

"Well," said Malfoy, lowering his voice to a whisper, "partly, Potter. I was hoping you would be the one injured - Kat wasn't - that was an unfortunate accident but at least now there's a chance of getting that giant oaf removed!" Before either of us could respond, Malloy, Crabbe, and Goyle had walked away.

"There they are," said Ron in relief.

Hermione and Kat were panting slightly, hurrying up the stairs.

"How did you do that?" said Ron.

"What?" said Hermione, as they joined us.

"One minute you two were right behind us, the next moment, you were back at the bottom of the stairs again."

"What?" Hermione looked slightly confused. "Oh - we had to go back for something. Oh no -"

A seam had split on Hermione's bag. I wasn't surprised; I could see that it was crammed with at least a dozen large and heavy books.

"Why are you carrying all these around with you?" Ron asked her.

"You know how many subjects we're taking," said Hermione breathlessly. "Couldn't hold these for me, could you?"

"But -" Ron was turning over the books she had handed him, looking at the covers. "You haven't got any of these subjects today. It's only Defense Against the Dark Arts this afternoon."

"Oh yes," said Hermione vaguely, but she packed all the books back into her bag just the same. "I hope there's something good for lunch, I'm starving," she added, and she marched off toward the Great Hall arm in arm with Kat.

"D'you get the feeling they're not telling us something?" Ron asked me.

\----------------------------------------------

Katrina's POV

Professor Lupin wasn't there when we arrived at his first Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson. We all sat down, took out our books, quills, and parchment, and were talking when he finally entered the room. Lupin smiled vaguely and placed his tatty old briefcase on the teacher's desk. He was as shabby as ever but looked healthier than he had on the train, as though he had had a few square meals.

"Good afternoon," he said. "Would you please put all your books back in your bags. Today's will be a practical lesson. You will need only your wands."

A few curious looks were exchanged as we all put away our books. We had never had a practical Defense Against the Dark Arts before, unless you counted the memorable class last year when our old teacher had brought a cageful of pixies to class and set them loose.

"Right then," said Professor Lupin, when everyone was ready. "If you'd follow me."

Puzzled but interested, we got to our feet and followed Professor Lupin out of the classroom. He led us along the deserted corridor and around a corner, where the first thing we saw was Peeves the Poltergeist, who was floating upside down in midair and stuffing the nearest keyhole with chewing gum.

Peeves didn't look up until Professor Lupin was two feet away; then he wiggled his curly-toed feet and broke into song.

"Loony, loopy Lupin," Peeves sang. "Loony, loopy Lupin, loony, loopy Lupin -"

Rude and unmanageable as he almost always was, Peeves usually showed some respect toward the teachers. We all looked quickly at Professor Lupin to see how he would take this; to our surprise, he was still smiling.

"I'd take that gum out of the keyhole if I were you, Peeves," he said pleasantly. "Mr. Filch won't be able to get in to his brooms."

Filch was the Hogwarts caretaker, a bad-tempered, failed wizard who waged a constant war against the students and, indeed, Peeves. However, Peeves paid no attention to Professor Lupin's words, except to blow a loud wet raspberry.

Professor Lupin gave a small sigh and took out his wand.

"This is a useful little spell," he told us over his shoulder. "Please watch closely."

He raised the wand to shoulder height, said, "Waddiwasi!" and pointed it at Peeves.

With the force of a bullet, the wad of chewing gum shot out of the keyhole and straight down Peeves's left nostril; he whirled upright and zoomed away, cursing.

"Cool, sir!" said Dean Thomas in amazement.

"Thank you, Dean," said Professor Lupin, putting his wand away again. "Shall we proceed?"

We set off again, the class looking at shabby Professor Lupin with increased respect. He led us down a second corridor and stopped, right outside the staffroom door.

"Inside, please," said Professor Lupin, opening it and standing back.

The staffroom, a long, paneled room full of old, mismatched chairs, was empty except for one teacher. Godfather was sitting in a low armchair, and he looked around as the class filed in. His eyes were glittering and there was a nasty sneer playing around his mouth. As Professor Lupin came in and made to close the door behind him, Snape said, "Leave it open, Lupin. I'd rather not witness this."

He got to his feet and strode past the class, his black robes billowing behind him. At the doorway he turned on his heel and said, "Possibly no one's warned you, Lupin, but this class contains Neville Longbottom. I would advise you not to entrust him with anything difficult. Not unless Katrina is hissing instructions in his ear." I frowned at my godfather. He had been acting strange ever since we had gotten back to school - in fact, all of my teachers had - and I had yet to even talk to grandfather!

Neville went scarlet as Professor Lupin raised his eyebrows.

"I was hoping that Neville would assist me with the first stage of the operation," he said, "and I am sure he will perform it admirably."

Neville's face went, if possible, even redder. Snape's lip curled, but he left, shutting the door with a snap.

"Now, then," said Professor Lupin, beckoning the class toward the end of the room, where there was nothing but an old wardrobe where the teachers kept their spare robes. As Professor Lupin went to stand next to it, the wardrobe gave a sudden wobble, banging off the wall.

"Nothing to worry about," said Professor Lupin calmly because a few people had jumped backward in alarm. "There's a boggart in there."

Most people seemed to feel that this was something to worry about. Neville gave Professor Lupin a look of pure terror, and Seamus Finnigan eyed the now rattling doorknob apprehensively.

"Boggarts like dark, enclosed spaces," said Professor Lupin. "Wardrobes, the gap beneath beds, the cupboards under sinks - I've even met one that had lodged itself in a grandfather clock. This one moved in yesterday afternoon, and I asked the headmaster if the staff would leave it to give my third years some practice.

"So, the first question we must ask ourselves is, what is a boggart?"

Hermione and I put our hands up.

"It's a shape-shifter," she said. "It can take the shape of whatever it thinks will frighten us most."

"Couldn't have put it better myself," said Professor Lupin, and Hermione glowed. "So the boggart sitting in the darkness within has not yet assumed a form. He does not yet know what will frighten the person on the other side of the door. Nobody knows what a boggart looks like when he is alone, but when I let him out, he will immediately become whatever each of us most fears.

"This means," said Professor Lupin, choosing to ignore Neville's small sputter of terror, "that we have a huge advantage over the boggart before we begin. Have you spotted it, Harry?" I looked over in surprise to see Harry's hand in the air. I lowered my own as I waited to see what he had to say.

Hermione was still bobbing up and down on the balls of her feet with her hand in the air as Harry began to speak.

"Er - because there are so many of us, it won't know what shape it should be?"

"Precisely," said Professor Lupin, and Hermione put her hand down, looking a little disappointed. "It's always best to have company when you're dealing with a boggart. He becomes confused. Which should he become, a headless corpse or a flesh-eating slug? I once saw a boggart make that very mistake - tried to frighten two people at once and turned himself into half a slug. Not remotely frightening.

"The charm that repels a boggart is simple, yet it requires force of mind. You see, the thing that really finishes a boggart is laughter. What you need to do is force it to assume a shape that you find amusing.

"We will practice the charm without wands first. After me, please... riddikulus!"

"Riddikulus!" we all said together.

"Good," said Professor Lupin. "Very good. But that was the easy part, I'm afraid. You see, the word alone is not enough. And this is where you come in, Neville."

The wardrobe shook again, though not as much as Neville, who walked forward as though he were heading for the gallows.

"Right, Neville," said Professor Lupin. "First things first: what would you say is the thing that frightens you most in the world?"

Neville's lips moved, but no noise came out.

"Didn't catch that, Neville, sorry," said Professor Lupin cheerfully.

Neville looked around rather wildly, as though begging someone to help him, then said, in barely more than a whisper, "Professor Snape."

Nearly everyone laughed. Even Neville grinned apologetically. Professor Lupin, however, looked thoughtful.

"Professor Snape...hmmm...Neville, I believe you live with your grandmother?"

"Er - yes," said Neville nervously. "But - I don't want the boggart to turn into her either."

"No, no, you misunderstand me," said Professor Lupin, now smiling. "I wonder, could you tell us what sort of clothes your grandmother usually wears?"

Neville looked startled, but said, "Well...always the same hat. A tall one with a stuffed vulture on top. And a long dress...green, normally...and sometimes a fox-fur scarf."

"And a handbag?" prompted Professor Lupin.

"A big red one," said Neville.

"Right then," said Professor Lupin. "Can you picture those clothes very clearly, Neville? Can you see them in your mind's eye?"

"Yes," said Neville uncertainly, plainly wondering what was coming next.

"When the boggart bursts out of this wardrobe, Neville, and sees you, it will assume the form of Professor Snape," said Lupin. "And you will raise your wand - thus - and cry 'Riddikulus' - and concentrate hard on your grandmother's clothes. If all goes well, Professor Boggart Snape will be forced into that vulture-topped hat, and that green dress, with that big red handbag."

There was a great shout of laughter. The wardrobe wobbled more violently.

"If Neville is successful, the boggart is likely to shift his attention to each of us in turn," said Professor Lupin. "I would like all of you to take a moment now to think of the thing that scares you most, and imagine how you might force it to look comical..."

The room went quiet. I thought...What scared me most in the world?

(Hey everyone, so I'm torn between what I should have Kat see whenever there's a boggart; I might switch it up every now and then, but if anyone has any suggestions please comment them! I was thinking either fire, herself, or dementors like Harry. If I see one I like, the next chapter will be dedicated to whoever wrote it! - as always, like and share your thoughts on the chapter as well)


	7. The Boggart

(This chapter is dedicated to:

Gothamfangirl  
Littlelizruth  
Mortem Ensis47  
YandereSky  
Tabitha Mossley  
And 'Guest'

Thanks to all of you for helping me create the idea for Kat's boggart! I combined all of your ideas into one big horrible nightmare for Kat - the mystery; for now, lies in whether the person she sees is herself or her father - comment what you think the answer is! :p - I'll be sprinkling more encounters throughout this book and the next ones to help give you clues)

Katrina's POV

My first thought was Lord Voldemort - a Voldemort returned to full strength. But before I had even started to plan a possible counterattack on a boggart-Voldemort, a horrible image came floating to the surface of my mind...

A girlish scream filled my head as I flashed back to last summer when I'd lost control and almost burned the girls at the orphanage alive. My mind raced as image after image flashed before me, each body burned to ashes: Fred, George, Oliver, Neville, Draco, Sev, grandfather, Ron, Hermione - each one of them turned to ash as I stood watching and laughing as my flames devoured them all - until all that was left was Harry; gazing at me in horror.

I shivered as I saw the look of hatred in his eyes, then looked around, hoping no one had noticed. Many people had their eyes shut tight. Ron was muttering to himself, "Take its legs off." I was sure I knew what that was about. Ron's greatest fear was spiders.

"Everyone ready?" said Professor Lupin.

I felt a lurch of fear. I wasn't ready. How was I supposed to make what I'd just seen less frightening? But I didn't want to ask for more time; everyone else was nodding and rolling up their sleeves.

"Neville, we're going to back away," said Professor Lupin. "Let you have a clear field, all right? I'll call the next person forward...Everyone back, now, so Neville can get a clear shot -"

We all retreated, backing against the walls, leaving Neville alone beside the wardrobe. He looked pale and frightened, but he had pushed up the sleeves of his robes and was holding his wand ready.

"On the count of three, Neville," said Professor Lupin, who was pointing his own wand at the handle of the wardrobe. "One-two-three-now!"

A jet of sparks shot from the end of Professor Lupin's wand and hit the doorknob. The wardrobe burst open. A hook-nosed and menacing, Professor Snape stepped out, his eyes flashing at Neville.

Neville backed away, his wand up, mouthing wordlessly. Snape was bearing down upon him, reaching inside his robes.

"R-r-riddikulus!" squeaked Neville.

There was a noise like a whip crack. Snape stumbled; he was wearing a long, lace-trimmed dress and a towering hat topped with a moth-eaten vulture, and he was swinging a huge crimson handbag.

There was a roar of laughter; the boggart paused, confused, and Professor Lupin shouted, "Parvati! Forward!"

Parvati walked forward, her face set. Snape rounded on her. There was another crack, and where he had stood was a bloodstained, bandaged mummy; its sightless face was turned to Parvati and it began to walk toward her very slowly, dragging its feet, its stiff arms rising-

"Riddikulus!" cried Parvati.

A bandage unraveled at the mummy's feet; it became entangled, fell face forward, and its head rolled off.

"Seamus!" roared Professor Lupin.

Seamus darted past Parvati.

Crack! Where the mummy had been was a woman with floor-length black hair and a skeletal, green-tinged face - a banshee. She opened her mouth wide and an unearthly sound filled the room, a long, wailing shriek that made the hair on the back of my neck stand on end -

"Riddikulus!" shouted Seamus.

The banshee made a rasping noise and clutched her throat; her voice was gone.

Crack! The banshee turned into a rat, which chased its tail in a circle, then - crack! - became a rattlesnake, which slithered and writhed before - crack! - becoming a single, bloody eyeball.

"It's confused!" shouted Lupin. "We're getting there! Dean!"

Dean hurried forward.

Crack! The eyeball became a severed hand, which flipped over and began to creep along the floor like a crab.

"Riddikulus!" yelled Dean.

There was a snap, and the hand was trapped in a mousetrap.

"Excellent! Ron, you next!"

Ron leapt forward.

Crack!

Quite a few people screamed. A giant spider, six feet tall and covered in hair, was advancing on Ron, clicking its pincers menacingly. For a moment, I thought Ron had frozen. Then -

"Riddikulus!" bellowed Ron, and the spider's legs vanished; it rolled over and over; Lavender Brown squealed and ran out of its way and it came to a halt at my feet. I raised my wand, terrified about what I was going to see.  
Crack!

I screamed in shock as a wall of flames erupted in front of me; stretching across the length of the room. Everyone backed away, unsure of whether the flames were real or not. As I watched the flames grow higher, I saw shapes appear inside and squinted. My blood froze as I saw a black figure - hooded and cloaked, looking down and laughing coldly as a pile of bones burned to dust.

I stood paralyzed as I gazed at the figure; now walking out of the flames and towards me, hand outstretched - beckoning to me. I continued to watch as the figures of my friends appeared inside the flames, calling out to me for help. But I couldn't move and their begging pleas quickly turned to anger as they shouted insults at me. My eyes locked onto a pair of green and my heart broke as I saw the look of disgust and hurt on my best friends face. I couldn't take it and had to look away.

As I did so, my gaze fell on the darkened figure again and it reached out to me again. Even without words, I could sense that it was trying to tell me to abandon everyone to the flames and revel in the destruction my power could cause. Whispered promises filled my thoughts and before I knew it, I found myself taking a trembling step forward toward the figure.

As I moved forward, the figure made to lower its' hood and I felt a sense of excitement flood my mind as I anticipated finding out who it was.

"Here!" shouted Professor Lupin suddenly, hurrying forward.

Crack!

The figure vanished along with the flames. For a second, everyone looked wildly around to see where it was. Then we saw a silvery-white orb hanging in the air in front of Lupin, who said, "Riddikulus!" almost lazily.

Crack!

"Forward, Neville, and finish him off!" said Lupin as the boggart landed on the floor as a cockroach. Crack! Severus was back. This time Neville charged forward looking determined.

"Riddikulus!" he shouted, and we had a split second's view of Sev in his lacy dress before Neville let out a great "Ha!" of laughter, and the boggart exploded, burst into a thousand tiny wisps of smoke, and was gone.

"Excellent!" cried Professor Lupin as the class broke into applause. "Excellent, Neville. Well done, everyone...Let me see...five points to Gryffindor for every person to tackle the boggart - ten for Neville because he did it twice...and five each to Hermione and Harry."

"But I didn't do anything," said Harry.

"You and Hermione answered my questions correctly at the start of the class, Harry," Lupin said lightly. "Very well, everyone, an excellent lesson. Homework, kindly read the chapter on boggarts and summarize it for me...to be handed in on Monday. That will be all."

Talking excitedly, the class left the staffroom. I, however, wasn't feeling cheerful. I was too shocked by what I had seen to think clearly. I glanced over at Harry to see him looking at me with that strange look in his eyes again, but this time, I thought I saw a hint of fear as well. I gulped down the huge lump in my throat and hurried ahead of the group as we made our way back to the classroom to collect our things.

"That was the best Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson we've ever had, wasn't it?" I heard Ron say excitedly.

"He seems like a very good teacher," said Hermione approvingly. "But I wish I could have had a turn with the boggart -"

"What would it have been for you?" said Ron, sniggering. "A piece of homework that only got nine out of ten?" Any other time I might have found this funny, but the reminder of the boggart caused another shiver to rack my body and I increased my speed, wishing that I could leave my thoughts as easily as the students behind me.

(Sorry for the short chapter but wanted to get this scene out of the way finally! Remember to comment your thoughts as well as who you think the figure was!)


	8. Flight of the Fat Lady

Katrina's POV

In no time at all, Defense Against the Dark Arts had become most people's favorite class. His next few lessons were just as interesting as the first. After Boggarts, we studied Red Caps, nasty little goblin-like creatures that lurked wherever there had been bloodshed: in the dungeons of castles and the potholes of deserted battlefields, waiting to bludgeon those who had gotten lost. From Red Caps we moved on to Kappas, creepy water-dwellers that looked like scaly monkeys, with webbed hands itching to strangle unwitting waders in their ponds.

I only wished I was as happy with some of my other classes. Worst of all was Potions. Not only was my godfather in a particularly vindictive mood these days because of Neville's Boggart, but Harry was being even more distant than ever. It had gotten so bad that I had stopped sitting next to him in classes and was now partnering with Draco whenever I could; which seemed to infuriate not only Harry, but Pansy Parkinson as well - who had been pushed aside now that I was spending all of my time with Draco. Not a single lesson passed that I couldn't feel the two of them glaring daggers at my back.

I was also growing to dread the hours I spent in Professor Trelawney's stifling tower room, deciphering lopsided shapes and symbols, trying to ignore the way Professor Trelawney's enormous eyes filled with tears every time she looked at me and Harry. I couldn't like Professor Trelawney, even though she was treated with respect bordering on reverence by many of the class. Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown had taken to haunting Professor Trelawney's tower room at lunch times, and always returned with annoyingly superior looks on their faces, as though they knew things the rest of us didn't. They had also started using hushed voices whenever they spoke to me, as though I were on my deathbed.

Nobody really liked Care of Magical Creatures, which, after the action-packed first class, had become extremely dull. Hagrid seemed to have lost his confidence. We were now spending lesson after lesson learning how to look after flobberworms, which had to be some of the most boring creatures in existence.

While boring, lessons with Hagrid did give me the opportunity to regularly check up on Drake; since I couldn't visit as often as I would have liked - especially after the start of October. The Quidditch season was approaching, and this was Oliver's last chance to win. Full of determination, we had started training sessions, three evenings a week. The weather was getting colder and wetter, the nights darker, but no amount of mud, wind, or rain could tarnish our wonderful vision of finally winning the huge, silver Quidditch Cup.

As much as I loved flying, our practices caused certain problems for me. Ever since I had started hanging out with Draco again, Pansy had been going out of her way to make my life miserable. During the day, Hermione and I managed to find alternative routes to our classes, but I had to be extra careful at night. Hermione kept telling me to walk back with Harry, but now that he wasn't talking to me again, I refused to ask for his help. Besides, having to deal with Pansy was nothing compared to the girls at the Orphanage! Or at least I thought...

I was walking back to my room one evening after training, cold and stiff but pleased with the way practice had gone, when Pansy and her best friend, Millicent Bulstrode, managed to catch me by surprise. I stopped in my tracks as I came face to face with them - mentally berating myself for getting so caught up in my thoughts that I didn't hear them coming down the hall.

I tried to pull out my wand, but with my broomstick in one hand and my robes in the other, I couldn't get to it in time. Pansy and Millicent sent me flying across the hall and my head landed heavily against the wall; causing my ears to ring. Stars danced before my eyes and I blinked furiously, trying to clear my vision.

As Pansy and Millicent made their way over to me, I found myself once more, flashing back to the the previous summer. I felt the familiar dark energy rise within me and I was just about to give into the power when I remembered my Boggart and my rage turned to fear. I still didn't know who the figure had been, but I knew I never wanted to become anything like that.

I didn't want to be powerful, I just wanted to be normal! But I knew that would never be possible for me. As strong and powerful as I was 'supposed' to be, I found myself feeling small and powerless as Pansy and Millicent continued to toss me around like a rag doll. I couldn't make up my mind on the best course of action which meant I wasn't doing anything - how pathetic of me! I kept thinking that anything I did to protect myself would spiral out of control, turning me into an evil monster - and yet - I didn't want to be helpless against bullies anymore!

As I curled up into a ball, my thoughts turned to my friends - I desperately wished I could be brave like them - they were true Gryffindors - and I - I was a worthless wannabee who belonged nowhere.

A small voice in the back of my mind called out against these newest thoughts and I clung to it desperately. I wasn't worthless! I was smart, kind, and just as brave as any Gryffindor - and I was definitely more loyal than Harry was acting at the moment! As I focused on this, I felt another wave of energy wash over me, but this time, it was uplifting and I couldn't sense anything dark about it. A tingling sensation traveled up my body and I suddenly began to tremble.

All three of us froze as we watched my skin ripple all over. I closed my eyes and waited till the tremors had stopped. Once they had, I slowly opened one eye, uncertain of what new horrible thing I had just done.

My eyes opened wide in surprise as I stared around me. For some reason everything looked different. I glanced around to find that I was alone in the hallway once more. The two girls must have run off the minute they saw what was happening. I sighed in relief and made to stand up - only to find that I couldn't. I looked down to find that instead of arms and legs, I had paws - golden fur-covered paws! I felt something wiggle behind me and when I twisted around, I saw that I'd also sprouted a tail! What in Merlin's name was going on!

I raced down the halls until I found myself at the entrance to my grandfather's office. I opened my mouth and spoke the password but all that came out was a mewling sound. I sat back on my hind legs abruptly as I realized that I had no way of speaking in my current form. I paced back and forth before the gargoyle, a low growling noise emitting from the back of my throat. Stone eyes followed my every movement, but no matter how much I scratched and clawed at the figure, the way remained blocked.

I had been attempting to claw my way through for nearly an hour with no success before I finally hung my head and was about to give up - when the staircase suddenly started moving on its own. At first, I howled in triumph as I thought I had managed to wear the gargoyle down, but I quickly realized that it was nothing that I had done, but rather, someone exiting. I backed away slowly, my tail unconsciously wrapping around me until I realized it was grandfather who was coming towards me.

I tried to call out to him before remembering yet again that I couldn't talk. I skidded up to my grandfather and tugged at the bottom of his robes. He looked down at me and I watched his eyes widen in shock as he recognized the familiar blue gaze staring back at him.

"Is that you little one?" He said, bending down to look at me more closely.

I howled and nodded my head furiously up and down. Without another word, my grandfather pulled out his wand and muttered a spell.

My surroundings spun and I closed my eyes against the nausea. When I opened them again, the world seemed normal and I sighed in relief.

"What the bloody hell was that!"

"It appears, young one, that you are an animagus," grandfather said, chuckling under his breath.

I stared at him in shock. "You mean a wizard who can transform into an animal? I thought that was really advanced magic?"

"It is," grandfather stated. "I was just on my way out for an evening walk under the stars, care to join me?"

I blinked and smiled as I nodded. I hadn't been able to hang out much with Dumbledore since I first came to Hogwarts so I was going to take any chance that I could get. I pulled out my own wand and sent my broom and robes back to my room. Another wave of my wand and a comfy sweater wrapped around me.

As we walked around the lake and gazed up at the stars, I told grandfather all about classes. But once I started, I couldn't stop and soon I was telling him everything about my strange new powers and even about how Harry had been acting differently and what the boggart had turned into.

Dumbledore didn't interrupt; just walked next to me and let me get it all out. He wasn't a man of many words and I hadn't really expected him to have any answers. But I did want to know more about what had just happened. How could I suddenly have turned into a lion? Well, a lion cub to be more precise. It was so bizarre, not to mention ironic.

My grandfather said that I must have been feeling some very strong emotions for the power of transformation to have been pulled out of me the way it was (the one thing I hadn't told him about was what had caused the transformation. I needed to learn how to handle people like Pansy on my own otherwise I'd forever be relying on others). He did make me promise to keep my powers a secret for as long as I could - though Ron, Hermione, and Harry he said would be fine.

We silently walked back to the castle hand in hand before parting to go to our rooms. Before going to sleep that night, I sat cross-legged on my bed and closed my eyes. As hard as I tried though, I couldn't transform again and eventually I passed out from exhaustion.

\----------------------------------------------

"First Hogsmeade weekend," said Ron, pointing at a notice that had appeared on the battered old bulletin board. "End of October. Halloween."

"Excellent," I heard Fred say. "I need to visit Zonko's. I'm nearly out of Stink Pellets."

I watched as Harry threw himself into a chair beside Ron, his high spirits clearly ebbing away. Hermione seemed to notice as well.

"Harry, I'm sure you'll be able to go next time," she said. "They're bound to catch Black soon. He's been sighted once already."

"Black's not fool enough to try anything in Hogsmeade," said Ron. "Ask McGonagall if you can go this time, Harry. The next one might not be for ages -"

"Ron!" said Hermione. "Harry's supposed to stay in school -"

"He can't be the only third year left behind," said Ron. "Ask McGonagall, go on, Harry -"

"Yeah, I think I will," said Harry. I frowned at him, knowing that Minnie would never let him go without a signed permission slip. I was just lucky that Sev had been able to sign mine since grandfather was still trying to keep our connection a secret.

Hermione opened her mouth to argue, but at that moment Crookshanks leapt lightly onto her lap. A large, dead spider was dangling from his mouth.

"Does he have to eat that in front of us?" said Ron, scowling.

"Clever Crookshanks, did you catch that all by yourself?" said Hermione.

"Just keep him over there, that's all," said Ron irritably, turning back to his star chart. "I've got Scabbers asleep in my bag."

"You can copy mine, if you like," said Ron, labeling his last star with a flourish and shoving the chart toward Harry.

Hermione and I pursed our lips in disapproval but didn't say anything. Crookshanks was still staring unblinkingly at Ron, flicking the end of his bushy tail. Then, without warning, he pounced.

"OY!" Ron roared, seizing his bag as Crookshanks sank four sets of claws deep inside it and began tearing ferociously. "GET OFF, YOU STUPID ANIMAL!"

Ron tried to pull the bag away from Crookshanks, but Crookshanks clung on, spitting and slashing.

"Ron, don't hurt him!" squealed Hermione; the whole common room was watching; Ron whirled the bag around, Crookshanks still clinging to it, and Scabbers came flying out of the top -

"CATCH THAT CAT!" Ron yelled as Crookshanks freed himself from the remnants of the bag, sprang over the table, and chased after the terrified Scabbers.

George made a lunge for Crookshanks but missed; Scabbers streaked through twenty pairs of legs and shot beneath an old chest of drawers. Crookshanks skidded to a halt, crouched low on his bandy legs, and started making furious swipes beneath it with his front paw.

Ron and Hermione rushed over while Harry and I watched on; Hermione grabbed Crookshanks around the middle and heaved him away; Ron threw himself onto his stomach and, with great difficulty, pulled Scabbers out by the tail.

"Look at him!" he said furiously to Hermione, dangling Scabbers in front of her. "He's skin and bone! You keep that cat away from him!"

"Crookshanks doesn't understand it's wrong!" said Hermione, her voice shaking. "All cats chase rats, Ron!"

"There's something funny about that animal!" said Ron, who was trying to persuade a frantically wiggling Scabbers back into his pocket. "It heard me say that Scabbers was in my bag!"

"Oh, what rubbish," said Hermione impatiently. "Crookshanks could smell him, Ron, how else d'you think -"

"That cat's got it in for Scabbers!" said Ron, ignoring the people around him, who were starting to giggle. "And Scabbers was here first, and he's ill!"

Ron marched through the common room and out of sight up the stairs to the boys' dormitories.

I glanced over at Harry, still giggling but I stopped as I saw that strange expression on his face again. I finished up my own star chart as fast as I could, said a quick goodbye to Hermione, and dashed off to my room.

\----------------------------------------------

Ron was still in a bad mood with Hermione next day. He barely talked to her all through Herbology, even though he, Harry, and Hermione were working together on the same Puffapod. I had partnered myself with Draco again and watched them from across the table.

"How's Scabbers?" Hermione asked timidly as we all stripped fat pink pods from the plants and emptied the shining beans into a wooden pail.

"He's hiding at the bottom of my bed, shaking," said Ron angrily, missing the pail and scattering beans over the greenhouse floor.

"Careful, Weasley, careful!" cried Professor Sprout as the beans burst into bloom before their very eyes.

We had Transfiguration next. Harry spent the entire class trying to figure out what he was going to say to Minnie when the bell rang at the end of the lesson, but it was she who brought up the subject of Hogsmeade first.

"One moment, please!" she called as the class made to leave. "As you're all in my House, you should hand Hogsmeade permission forms to me before Halloween. No form, no visiting the village, so don't forget!"

Neville put up his hand.

"Please, Professor, I - I think I've lost -"

"Your grandmother sent yours to me directly, Longbottom," said Professor McGonagall. "She seemed to think it was safer. Well, that's all, you may leave."

"Ask her now," Ron hissed at Harry.

"Oh. but -" Hermione began.

"Go for it, Harry," said Ron stubbornly.

Harry waited for the rest of the class to disappear, then headed nervously for Professor McGonagall's desk.

"Yes, Potter?" Harry took a deep breath.

"Professor, my aunt and uncle - er -forgot to sign my form," he said.

Professor McGonagall looked over her square spectacles at him but didn't say anything.

"So - er - d'you think it would be all right mean, will It be okay if I - if I go to Hogsmeade?"

\----------------------------------------------

"There's always the feast," said Ron, in an effort to cheer Harry up. As I had known, Minnie had said no. "You know, the Halloween feast, in the evening."

"Yeah," said Harry gloomily, "great."

"We'll bring you lots of sweets back from Honeydukes," said Hermione, looking desperately sorry for him.

"Yeah, loads," said Ron. He and Hermione had finally forgotten their squabble about Crookshanks in the face of Harry's difficulties.

"I'll stay here and keep you company, Harry!" I offered, already knowing his answer.

"Don't worry about me," said Harry, in what he hoped was an offhand voice, "I'll see you at the feast. Have a good time."

He accompanied us to the entrance hall, where Filch, the caretaker, was standing inside the front doors, checking off names against a long list, peering suspiciously into every face, and making sure that no one was sneaking out who shouldn't be going.

"Staying here, Potter?" shouted Draco, who was standing in line with Crabbe and Goyle. "Scared of passing the Dementors?"

Harry ignored him as I elbowed my blond haired friend and watched as he made his solitary way up the marble staircase, through the hallways and up to the Gryffindor tower.

Hermione, Ron, and I glanced back at Harry one last time before setting off for Hogsmead. We visited the Shrieking Shack, Zonkos Joke Shop, and eventually ended at the Three Broomsticks. On our way in, I noticed a familiar black shape hiding in the shadows and waved my friends on as I stopped to say hello.

The black dog from Diagon Alley slowly crept towards me as I bent low to greet him. I sifted through my pockets and picked out the biggest treats I could find.

"I'm sorry it's not much..." I apologized as I set the treats in front of the dog. He wagged his tail and licked my face in thanks before gobbling them up and disappearing into the shadows. I sighed and joined Ron and Hermione inside. As we sipped our butterbeers, I told them about my animagus transformation; though I made them promise not to tell Harry. He clearly had other things on his mind...

"There you go," said Ron. "We got as much as we could carry."

A shower of brilliantly colored sweets fell into Harry's lap. It was dusk, and Ron, Hermione and I had just turned up in the common room, pink-faced from the cold wind.

"Thanks," said Harry, picking up a packet of tiny black Pepper Imps. "What's Hogsmeade like? Where did you go?"

We told him about going to Dervish and Banges, the wizarding equipment shop, Zonko's Joke Shop, into the Three Broomsticks for foaming mugs of hot butterbeer, and the many other places.

"The post office, Harry! About two hundred owls, all sitting on shelves, all color-coded depending on how fast you want your letter to get there!"

"Honeydukes has got a new kind of fudge; they were giving out free samples, there's a bit, look -"

"We think we saw an ogre, honestly, they get all sorts at the Three Broomsticks -"

"Wish we could have brought you some butterbeer, really warms you up -"

"What did you do?" said Hermione, looking anxious. "Did you get any work done?"

"No," said Harry. "Lupin made me a cup of tea in his office. And then Snape came in..."

He told us all about the goblet. Ron's mouth fell open.

"Lupin drank it?" he gasped. "Is he mad?"

Hermione checked her watch.

"We'd better go down, you know, the feast'll be starting in five minutes. We hurried through the portrait hole and into the crowd, still discussing Snape.

"But if he - you know -" Hermione dropped her voice, glancing nervously around, "if he was trying to - to poison Lupin - he wouldn't have done it in front of Harry." I rolled my eyes at yet another conclusion that put Snape in the villain role but kept my mouth shut.

"Yeah, maybe," said Harry as they reached the entrance hall and crossed into the Great Hall. It had been decorated with hundreds and hundreds of candle-filled pumpkins, a cloud of fluttering live bats, and many flaming orange streamers, which were swimming lazily across the stormy ceiling like brilliant watersnakes.

The food was delicious; even Hermione and Ron, who were full to bursting with Honeydukes sweets, managed second helpings of everything. Harry kept glancing at the staff table. Professor Lupin looked cheerful and as well as he ever did; he was talking animatedly to tiny little Professor Flitwick, the Charms teacher.

The feast finished with an entertainment provided by the Hogwarts ghosts. They popped out of the walls and tables to do a bit of formation gliding; Nearly Headless Nick, the Gryffindor ghost, had a great success with a reenactment of his own botched beheading.

Harry, Ron, Hermione, and I followed the rest of the Gryffindors along the usual path to Gryffindor Tower, but when we reached the corridor that ended with the portrait of the Fat Lady, we found it jammed with students.

"Why isn't anyone going in?" said Ron curiously.

Harry peered over the heads in front of us. The portrait seemed to be closed.

"Let me through, please," came Percy's voice, and he came bustling importantly through the crowd. "What's the holdup here? You can't all have forgotten the password - excuse me, I'm Head Boy -"

And then a silence fell over the crowd, from the front first, so that a chill seemed to spread down the corridor. I heard Percy say, in a suddenly sharp voice, "Somebody get Professor Dumbledore. Quick."

People's heads turned; those at the back were standing on tiptoe.

"What's going on?" said Ginny, who had just arrived.

A moment later, my grandfather was there, sweeping toward the portrait; the Gryffindors squeezed together to let him through, and Harry, Ron, Hermione, and I moved closer to see what the trouble was.

"Oh, my -" I grabbed Harry's arm. He looked at me and my eyes widened as I dropped my hand; my cheeks turning red.

The Fat Lady had vanished from her portrait, which had been slashed so viciously that strips of canvas littered the floor; great chunks of it had been torn away completely. Dumbledore took one quick look at the ruined painting and turned, his eyes somber, to see Professors McGonagall, Lupin, and Snape hurrying toward him.

"We need to find her," said Dumbledore. "Professor McGonagall, please go to Mr. Filch at once and tell him to search every painting in the castle for the Fat Lady."

"You'll be lucky!" said a cackling voice.

It was Peeves the Poltergeist, bobbing over the crowd and looking delighted, as he always did, at the sight of wreckage or worry.

"What do you mean, Peeves?" said Dumbledore calmly, and Peeves's grin faded a little. He didn't dare taunt Dumbledore. Instead he adopted an oily voice that was no better than his cackle. "Ashamed, Your Headship, sir. Doesn't want to be seen. She's a horrible mess. Saw her running through the landscape up on the fourth floor, sir, dodging between the trees. Crying something dreadful," he said happily. "Poor thing." he added unconvincingly.

"Did she say who did it?" said Dumbledore quietly.

"Oh yes, Professorhead," said Peeves, with the air of one cradling a large bombshell in his arms. "He got very angry when she wouldn't let him in, you see." Peeves flipped over and grinned at Dumbledore from between his own legs. "Nasty temper he's got, that Sirius Black."

Hey everyone, so sorry for the long delay! I had finals and then writer's block. I was stuck trying to find the best way to introduce Kat's animagus form; I hope y'all liked how it turned out! I'm also working on trying to incorporate more Kat and Dumbledore scenes as was requested :) now that it's summer I should be able to write more!


	9. Gryffindor v. ?

Katrina's POV

Grandfather sent all the Gryffindors and myself back to the Great Hall, where we were joined ten minutes later by the students from Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin, who all looked extremely confused.

"The teachers and I need to conduct a thorough search of the castle," Dumbledore told them as Minnie and Flitwick closed all doors into the hall. "I'm afraid that, for your own safety, you will have to spend the night here. I want the prefects to stand guard over the entrances to the hall and I am leaving the Head Boy and Girl in charge. Any disturbance should be reported to me immediately," he added to Percy, who was looking immensely proud and important. "Send word with one of the ghosts."

I watched as grandfather paused, about to leave the hall, and said, "Oh, yes, you'll be needing..."

One casual wave of his wand and the long tables flew to the edges of the hall and stood themselves against the walls; another wave, and the floor was covered with hundreds of squashy purple sleeping bags.

"Sleep well," said Dumbledore, closing the door behind him.

The hall immediately began to buzz excitedly; the Gryffindors were telling the rest of the school what had just happened. I sat next to Hermione; across from Harry and Ron, and just listened numbly to the chatter around me.

"Everyone into their sleeping bags!" shouted Percy. "Come on, now, no more talking! Lights out in ten minutes!"

"C'mon," Ron said to Harry, Hermione, and I; we seized four sleeping bags and dragged them into a corner.

"Do you think Black's still in the castle?" Hermione whispered anxiously.

"Dumbledore obviously thinks he might be," said Ron.

"It's very lucky he picked tonight, you know," said Hermione as we climbed fully dressed into our sleeping bags and propped ourselves on our elbows to talk. "The one night we weren't in the tower..."

"I reckon he's lost track of time, being on the run," said Ron. "Didn't realize it was Halloween. Otherwise he'd have come bursting in here."

Hermione shuddered.

All around us, people were asking one another the same question: "How did he get in?"

"Maybe he knows how to Apparate," said a Ravenclaw a few feet away, "Just appear out of thin air, you know."

"Disguised himself, probably," said a Hufflepuff fifth year.

"He could've flown in," suggested Dean Thomas.

"Honestly, Hermione, are you and I the only two people who've ever bothered to read Hogwarts, A History?" I muttered crossly and causing my friends to laugh.

"Probably," said Ron. "Why?"

"Because the castle's protected by more than walls, you know, there are all sorts of enchantments on it, to stop people entering by stealth..." Hermione started to explain.

"...you can't just Apparate in here. And I'd like to see the disguise that could fool those Dementors. They're guarding every single entrance to the grounds. They'd have seen him fly in too. And Filch knows all the secret passages, they'll have them covered," I finished for her. We'd been spending so much time together what with all of our classes that we had begun to finish each other's sentences.

"The lights are going out now!" Percy shouted. "I want everyone in their sleeping bags and no more talking!"

The candles all went out at once. The only light now came from the silvery ghosts, who were drifting about talking seriously to the prefects, and the enchanted ceiling, which, like the sky outside, was scattered with stars. What with that, and the whispering that still filled the hall, I felt as though I was sleeping outdoors in a light wind.

I glanced over to find Harry staring at me with curiosity written across his face.

"What, do I have something on my face?" I said self-consciously as I raised my hand to my cheek.

"No, you look as beautiful as ever, it's just something Malfoy said in Potions class the other day...I think he thinks Black is after you but I can't understand why he'd be interested in you..." Harry broke off as we both realized what he'd just said.

"Wow, tonight must be my lucky night! You hardly speak to me for weeks and when you finally do, it's to randomly compliment me then immediately tell me I'm uninteresting and of no importance," I said as I rolled my eyes at him; half joking, half serious.

Harry's eyes widened as he hurriedly tried to climb out of the grave he'd just dug for himself. "I didn't...I mean I just meant that...of course you're interesting...I-I know I haven't said much lately...I'm just...confused..." he finished lamely.

I sat up a little taller and looked over at him more closely. "Confused about what, Harry?"

"...everything," he finally answered after a long pause.

"Well yes, yes I can see how that might be confusing. Totally clears that up! Anything else bothering you while you're at it?" I asked, my voice laced with sarcasm. I tried to look serious but failed miserably and for the first time in what felt like forever, I found myself laughing with my best friend again. I was about to slide over closer to him so that we could sleep next to each other when his face went all weird again.

"Ugh, why are boys so confused and confusing?" I growled softly to Hermione as she slid into my sleeping bag and linked arms with me.

"If I knew the answer to that, I'd be rich, not slumming it with you in a sleeping bag in the middle of the Great Hall." We giggled until Percy stomped over to us and shouted at us for being too loud.

"Perce, you do know that by shouting, you are, in fact, making more noise than we were?" I said, batting my eyes innocently up at him. He glared at me and opened his mouth to respond before turning around and stalking off in the opposite direction. Hermione and I looked at each other and burst into quiet giggles again. We spread out on our backs, arms still linked, and whispered to each other. Eventually we ended up pointing to random students and coming up with the most bizarre predictions about what they were dreaming about.

"I don't know what Professor Trelawney was talking about Hermione, your predictions are probably way more accurate than hers!" We chuckled and continued our game; pausing whenever Percy got close.

Once every hour, a teacher would reappear in the Hall to check that everything was quiet. Around three in the morning, when many students had finally fallen asleep, I saw grandfather come in. I watched him looking around for Percy, who had been prowling between the sleeping bags, telling more students off for talking. Percy was only a short way away from the four of us and we all quickly pretended to be asleep as Dumbledore's footsteps drew nearer.

"Any sign of him, Professor?" asked Percy in a whisper.

"No. All well here?"

"Everything under control, sir."

"Good. There's no point moving them all now. I've found a temporary guardian for the Gryffindor portrait hole. You'll be able to move them back in tomorrow."

"And the Fat Lady, sir?"

"Hiding in a map of Argyllshire on the second floor. Apparently she refused to let Black in without the password, so he attacked. She's still very distressed, but once she's calmed down, I'll have Mr Filch restore her."

I heard the door of the hall creak open again, and more footsteps.

"Headmaster?" It was Sev. I kept quite still, listening hard. "The whole of the third floor has been searched. He's not there. And Filch has done the dungeons; nothing there either."

"What about the Astronomy tower? Professor Trelawney's room? The Owlery?"

"All searched...he didn't go near her room either, thank Merlin for that."

"Very well, Severus. I didn't really expect Black to linger."

"Have you any theory as to how he got in, Professor?" asked Snape.

I raised my head very slightly off my arms to free my other ear.

"Many, Severus, each of them as unlikely as the next."

I opened my eyes a fraction and squinted up to where they stood; grandfather's back was to me, but I could see Percy's face, rapt with attention, and Snape's profile, which looked angry.

"You remember the conversation we had, Headmaster, just before - ah - the start of term?" said Snape, who was barely opening his lips, as though trying to block Percy out of the conversation.

"I do, Severus," said Dumbledore, and there was something like warning in his voice.

"It seems - almost impossible - that Black could have entered the school without inside help. I did express my concerns when you appointed -"

"I do not believe a single person inside this castle would have helped Black enter it," said Dumbledore, and his tone made it so clear that the subject was closed that Snape didn't reply. "I must go down to the Dementors," said Dumbledore. "I said I would inform them when our search was complete."

"Didn't they want to help, sir?" said Percy.

"Oh yes," said Dumbledore coldly. "But I'm afraid no Dementor will cross the threshold of this castle while I am Headmaster."

Percy looked slightly abashed. Grandfather left the hall, walking quickly and quietly. Snape stood for a moment, watching the headmaster with an expression of deep resentment on his face; then he too left.

I glanced sideways at Hermione, than to Ron and Harry. They all had their eyes open too, reflecting the starry ceiling.

"What was all that about?" Ron mouthed. I saw Harry whisper something to Ron and strained to hear what he said but I was too far away.

("What did Snape mean Black didn't go near 'her' room?" was what Harry asked Ron.)

\----------------------------------------------

The school talked of nothing but Sirius Black for the next few days. The theories about how he had entered the castle became wilder and wilder; Hermione and I just shook our heads at the stupidity of it all. Neither of us could figure out how he had done it either, but at least we weren't shouting out random suggestions that would never have been possible!

The Fat Lady's ripped canvas had been taken off the wall and replaced with the portrait of Sir Cadogan and his fat gray pony. Nobody was very happy about this. Sir Cadogan spent half his time challenging people to duels, and the rest thinking up ridiculously complicated passwords, which he changed at least twice a day. For the first and only time in my life I was thankful that I didn't have a dorm in Gryffindor Tower.

"He's a complete lunatic," said Seamus Finnigan angrily to Percy. "Can't we get anyone else?"

"None of the other pictures wanted the job," said Percy. "Frightened of what happened to the Fat Lady. Sir Cadogan was the only one brave enough to volunteer."

Ron wasn't talking to Hermione and since Harry wasn't talking to me, the two of us spent our afternoons either in the library or in my room.

Sir Cadogan, however, was the least of my worries. Along with Harry, I was now being closely watched. Teachers found excuses to walk along corridors with me, and Percy Weasley (acting, I suspected, on his mother's orders) was tailing Harry and I everywhere like an extremely pompous guard dog. I could understand why they were following Harry, but why I received the same treatment baffled me. To cap it all, Professor McGonagall summoned Harry and I into her office, with such a somber expression on her face I thought someone must have died.

"There's no point hiding it from you any longer, Potter, Katrina dear." she said in a very serious voice. "I know this will come as a shock to you, but Sirius Black -"

"I know he's after me," said Harry wearily. "I heard Ron's dad telling his mum. Mr. Weasley works for the Ministry of Magic."

Minnie seemed very taken aback. She stared at Harry for a moment or two, then said, "I see! Well, in that case, you'll understand why I don't think it's a good idea for either of you two to be -"

"What on earth does this have to do with me though?" I burst out in irritation at the lack of answers I had been getting lately and not caring that I was interrupting her.

Minnie looked at me and sighed. "He's after you too."

"Me? Why?" I looked from Harry to Minnie in surprise.

"One can only guess...we assume for the same reason he's after Harry. To finish what he started 13 years ago. As I was saying, you'll understand why I do not think you two should be practicing Quidditch in the evenings. Out on the field with only your team members, it's very exposed -"

"We've got our first match on Saturday!" said Harry and I together, both outraged. "We've got to train, Professor!"

Minnie considered us intently. "Hmm...Well...goodness knows, I'd like to see us win the Cup at last...but all the same, I'd be happier if a teacher were present. I'll ask Madam Hooch to oversee your training sessions."

As I exited Minnie's office, I looked back at her; sensing that there was still something that she wasn't telling me. I had the sneaking suspicion that there was something else going on with Sirius Black that no one was telling me...

\----------------------------------------------

The weather worsened steadily as our first Quidditch match drew nearer. Undaunted, the Gryffindor team was training harder than ever under the eye of Madam Hooch. Then, at the final training session before Saturday's match, Oliver Wood delivered some unwelcome news.

"We're not playing Slytherin!" he told us, looking very angry. "Flint's just been to see me. We're playing Hufflepuff instead."

"Why?" Asked Fred and George together.

"Flint's excuse is that their Seeker injured his arm," said Wood, grinding his teeth furiously. (Ok I know that seems a little lame but I completely forgot that changing Kat to being the one who was injured would affect this part so yeah...deal with it lol) "But it's obvious why they're doing it. Don't want to play in this weather. Think it'll damage their chances..."

There had been strong winds and heavy rain all day, and as Wood spoke, we heard a distant rumble of thunder.

"There's nothing wrong with Malfoy's arm!" said Harry furiously. "He's faking it!"

"I know that, but we can't prove it," said Wood bitterly, "And we've been practicing all those moves assuming we're playing Slytherin, and instead it's Hufflepuff, and their style's quite different. They've got a new Captain and Seeker, Cedric Diggory -"

Angelina, Alicia, and I suddenly giggled.

"What?" said Wood, frowning at our lighthearted behavior.

"He's that tall, good-looking one, isn't he?" said Angelina.

"Strong and silent," said Alicia, and we started to giggle again.

I noticed Harry glancing at me and clenching his fists tight. He saw me looking and turned away but not before I saw a glint of irritation in his eyes.

"He's only silent because he's too thick to string two words together," said Fred impatiently. "I don't know why you're worried, Oliver, Hufflepuff is a pushover. Last time we played them, Harry caught the Snitch in about five minutes, remember?"

"We were playing in completely different conditions!" Wood shouted, his eyes bulging slightly. "Diggory's put a very strong side together! He's an excellent Seeker! I was afraid you'd take it like this! We mustn't relax! We must keep our focus! Slytherin is trying to wrong-foot us! We must win!"

"Oliver, calm down!" said Fred, looking slightly alarmed. "We're taking Hufflepuff very seriously. Seriously."

The day before the match, the winds reached howling point and the rain fell harder than ever. It was so dark inside the corridors and classrooms that extra torches and lanterns were lit. The Slytherin team was looking very smug indeed, and none more so than Draco.

"Ah, if only my arm was feeling a bit better!" he sighed as the gale outside pounded the windows.

I had no room in my head to worry about anything except the match tomorrow. Oliver Wood kept hurrying up to Harry and I between classes and giving us tips. The third time this happened, Wood talked for so long that we were ten minutes late for Defense Against the Dark Arts.

"Sorry we're late, Professor Lupin. We -"

But it wasn't Professor Lupin who looked up at us from the teacher's desk; it was my godfather.

"This lesson began ten minutes ago, Potter, so I think we'll make it ten points from Gryffindor. Sit down." I saw Harry once more turn to glare at me as we both noticed how Sev skipped over the fact that I had also been late. I went to go join Hermione and sat down with my head low as I felt the sting of Harry's glare still on my back.

But Harry didn't move.

"Where's Professor Lupin?" he said.

"He says he is feeling too ill to teach today," said Snape with a twisted smile. "I believe I told you to sit down?"

But Harry stayed where he was.

"What's wrong with him?"

Snape's black eyes glittered.

"Nothing life-threatening," he said, looking as though he wished it were. "Five more points from Gryffindor, and if I have to ask you to sit down again, it will be fifty."

Harry walked slowly to his seat and sat down. Snape looked around at the class.

"As I was saying before Potter interrupted, Professor Lupin has not left any record of the topics you have covered so far --"

"Please, sir, we've done Boggarts, Red Caps, Kappas, and Grindylows," said Hermione quickly, "and we're just about to start --"

"Be quiet," said Snape coldly. "I did not ask for information. I was merely commenting on Professor Lupin's lack of organization."

"He's the best Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher we've ever had," said Dean Thomas boldly, and there was a murmur of agreement from the rest of the class. Snape looked more menacing than ever.

"You are easily satisfied. Lupin is hardly overtaxing you - I would expect first years to be able to deal with Red Caps and Grindylows. Today we shall discuss -"

We watched him flick through the textbook, to the very back chapter, which he must know we hadn't covered.

"- werewolves," said Snape.

"But, sir," said Hermione, seemingly unable to restrain herself, "we're not supposed to do werewolves yet, we're due to start Hinkypunks -"

"Miss Granger," said Snape in a voice of deadly calm, "I was under the impression that I am teaching this lesson, not you. And I am telling you all to turn to page 394." He glanced around again. "All of you! Now!"

With many bitter sidelong looks and some sullen muttering, we opened our books.

"Which of you can tell me how we distinguish between the werewolf and the true wolf?" said Snape.

Everyone sat in motionless silence; everyone except Hermione, whose hand, as it so often did, had shot straight into the air. I knew the answer as well but I preferred to let Hermione answer questions in class. I hated having that many eyes on me.

"Anyone?" Snape said, ignoring Hermione. His twisted smile was back. "Are you telling me that Professor Lupin hasn't even taught you the basic distinction between -"

"We told you," said Parvati suddenly, "we haven't got as far as werewolves yet, we're still on --"

"Silence!" snarled Snape. "Well, well, well, I never thought I'd meet a third-year class who wouldn't even recognize a werewolf when they saw one. I shall make a point of informing Professor Dumbledore how very behind you all are..."

"Please, sir," said Hermione, whose hand was still in the air, "the werewolf differs from the true wolf in several small ways. The snout of the werewolf -"

"That is the second time you have spoken out of turn, Miss Granger," said Snape coolly. "Five more points from Gryffindor for being an insufferable know-it-all."

Hermione went very red, put down her hand, and stared at the floor with her eyes full of tears. I reached over and held her hand under the desk trying to offer what comfort I could.

It was a mark of how much the class loathed Snape that they were all glaring at him; because every one of them had called Hermione a know-it-all at least once, and Ron, who told Hermione she was a know-it-all at least twice a week, said loudly, "You asked us a question and she knows the answer! Why ask if you don't want to be told?"

I knew instantly he'd gone too far. Snape advanced on Ron slowly, and the room held its breath.

"Detention, Weasley," Snape said silkily, his face very close to Ron's. "And if I ever hear you criticize the way I teach a class again, you will be very sorry indeed."

No one made a sound throughout the rest of the lesson. We sat and made notes on werewolves from the textbook, while Snape prowled up and down the rows of desks, examining the work we had been doing with Professor Lupin.

"Very poorly explained...That is incorrect, the Kappa is more commonly found in Mongolia...Professor Lupin gave this eight out of ten? I wouldn't have given it three..."

When the bell rang at last, Snape held us back.

"You will each write an essay, to be handed in to me, on the ways you recognize and kill werewolves. I want two rolls of parchment on the subject, and I want them by Monday morning. It is time somebody took this class in hand. Weasley, stay behind, we need to arrange your detention."

Harry, Hermione, and I left the room with the rest of the class, who waited until they were well out of earshot, then burst into a furious tirade about Snape.

I lowered my head and kept my mouth shut. While I hadn't agreed with the way Sev had acted, he WAS still my godfather and I refused to speak ill of the man who had taken me in for the summer and treated me like family.

Ron caught up with us five minutes later, in a towering rage.

"D'you know what that -" he called Snape something that made Hermione and I say "Ron!") "- is making me do? I've got to scrub out the bedpans in the hospital wing. Without magic!" He was breathing deeply, his fists clenched. "Why couldn't Black have hidden in Snape's office, eh? He could have finished him off for us!"

I elbowed him and glared curiously at him. We stood there not blinking until Hermione pulled me down the hall; Harry tugging on Ron.

\----------------------------------------------

"It's going to be a tough one," said Wood, who wasn't eating anything the next morning.

"Stop worrying, Oliver," said Alicia soothingly, "we don't mind a bit of rain."

But it was considerably more than a bit of rain. Such was the popularity of Quidditch that the whole school turned out to watch the match as usual, but they ran down the lawns toward the Quidditch field, heads bowed against the ferocious wind, umbrellas being whipped out of their hands as they went.

We changed into our scarlet robes and waited for Wood's usual pre-match pep talk, but it didn't come. He tried to speak several times, made an odd gulping noise, then shook his head hopelessly and beckoned us to follow him.

The wind was so strong that we staggered sideways as we walked out onto the field. If the crowd was cheering, I couldn't hear it over the fresh rolls of thunder.

The Hufflepuffs were approaching from the opposite side of the field, wearing canary-yellow robes. The Captains walked up to each other and shook hands; Diggory smiled at Wood but Wood now looked as though he had lockjaw and merely nodded. Then he glanced over at me and winked! I blushed and giggled as out of the corner of my eye, I saw Harry grinding his teeth. What was his problem?!

I then saw Madam Hooch's mouth form the words, "Mount Your brooms." I pulled my right foot out of the mud with a squelch and swung it over my Nimbus Two Thousand. Madam Hooch put her whistle to her lips and gave it a blast that sounded shrill and distant - we were off.

I rose fast, but my Nimbus was swerving slightly with the wind. I held it as steady as I could and turned, squinting into the rain.

Within five minutes I was soaked to my skin and frozen, hardly able to see my teammates. I flew backward and forward across the field past blurred red and yellow shapes, and tried my best to score when I could. Twice I came very close to being unseated by a Bludger; but I narrowly managed to dodge them.

I lost track of time. It was getting harder and harder to hold my broom straight. The sky was getting darker, as though night had decided to come early.

With the first flash of lightning came the sound of Madam Hooch's whistle; I could just see the outline of Wood through the thick rain, gesturing him to the ground. The whole team splashed down into the mud.

"I called for time-out!" Wood roared at us. "Come on, under here -"

We huddled at the edge of the field under a large umbrella; Harry took off his glasses and wiped them hurriedly on his robes.

"What's the score?" I heard him ask.

"We're fifty points up," said Wood, "but unless we get the Snitch soon, we'll be playing into the night."

"I've got no chance with these on," Harry said exasperatedly, waving his glasses.

"Oh, honestly, Harry! Give them here!" I rolled my eyes and stuck out my hand.

He handed them to me, and as the team watched in amazement, I tapped them with my wand and said, "Impervius!"

"There!" I said, handing them back to Harry. "They'll repel water!"

Wood looked as though he could have kissed me.

"Brilliant!" he called out to me; pulling me into a hug and pecking my cheek, causing my face to redden for the second time. "Okay, team, let's go for it!"

We rose into the air and the game continued. I swerved, dodged, and raced back and forth across the field as I did my best to get a hold of the quaffle.

There was another clap of thunder, followed immediately by forked lightning. This was getting more and more dangerous. Just then, I noticed one of the Hufflepuff chasers fly past me; quaffle in hand.

I turned, intending to give chase, but at that moment, another flash of lightning illuminated the stands, and I saw something that distracted me completely, the silhouette of an enormous shaggy black dog, clearly imprinted against the sky, motionless in the topmost, empty row of seats.

My numb hands slipped on the broom handle and my Nimbus dropped a few feet. Shaking my sodden bangs out of my eyes, I squinted back into the stands. The dog had vanished.

"Kat!" came Wood's anguished yell from the Gryffindor goal posts.

I looked wildly around. The chaser I had spotted was pelting up the field, dangerously close to scoring.

With a jolt of panic, I threw myself flat to the broom handle and zoomed towards the figure.

"Come on!" I growled at my Nimbus as the rain whipped my face. "Faster!"

But something odd was happening. An eerie silence was falling across the stadium. The wind, though as strong as ever, was forgetting to roar. It was as though someone had turned off the sound, as though I had gone suddenly deaf - what was going on?

And then a horribly familiar wave of cold swept over me, inside me, just as I became aware of something moving on the field below...

Before I had time to think, I had taken my eyes off the Quaffle and looked down.

At least a hundred Dementors, their hidden faces pointing up at me, were standing beneath me. It was as though freezing water were rising in my chest, cutting at my insides. And then I heard it again...Someone was screaming, screaming inside my head...a woman...

"Not Kat, not Kat, please no! You don't understand, she's your -"

"Stand aside, you silly girl...stand aside, now..."

"Not Kat, please no, take me, kill me instead -"

Numbing, swirling white mist was filling my brain...What was I doing? Why was I flying? I needed to help her...She was going to die...She was going to be murdered...

I was falling, falling through the icy mist.

"Not Kat! Please...have mercy...have mercy...how could you, your own -"

A shrill voice was laughing, the woman was screaming, and I knew no more.

\----------------------------------------------

"Lucky the ground was so soft."

"I thought he was dead for sure."

"But he didn't even break his glasses."

I could hear the voices whispering, but they made no sense whatsoever. I didn't have a clue where I was, or how I'd got there, or what I'd been doing before I got there. All I knew was that every inch of me was aching as though it had been beaten yet again.

"That was the scariest thing I've ever seen in my life."

Scariest...the scariest thing...hooded black figures...cold...screaming...

My eyes snapped open. I was lying in the hospital wing. The Gryffindor Quidditch team, spattered with mud from head to foot, was gathered around Harry's bed. Ron and Hermione were also there, looking as though they'd just climbed out of a swimming pool. I blinked my eyes to clear the fog and watched nervously until I saw Harry's eyes open and sighed in relief.

"Harry!" said Fred, who looked extremely white underneath, the mud. "How're you feeling?"

"What happened?" he said, sitting up so suddenly they all gasped.

"You fell off," said Fred. "Must've been - what - fifty feet?"

"We thought you'd died," said Alicia, who was shaking.

"But the match," said Harry. "What happened? Are we doing a replay?"

No one said anything. I watched them closely, the horrible truth sinking into me like a stone. I sat up and asked the question before Harry got the chance.

"We didn't - lose?" I groaned a little as my head pounded. Hermione rushed over to my side and flung herself around me. I hugged her back, despite the continued banging in my head as I waited for an answer.

"Diggory got the Snitch," said George. "Just after you two fell. He didn't realize what had happened. When he looked back and saw Harry on the ground, he tried to call it off. Wanted a rematch. But they won fair and square...even Wood admits it."

"Where is Wood?" said Harry, suddenly realizing he wasn't there.

"Still in the showers," said Fred. "We think he's trying to drown himself."

Harry put his face to his knees, his hands gripping his hair. Fred grabbed his shoulder and shook it roughly.

"C'mon, Harry, you've never missed the Snitch before."

"There had to be one time you didn't get it," said George.

"It's not over yet," said Fred. "We lost by a hundred points."

"Right? So if Hufflepuff loses to Ravenclaw and we beat Ravenclaw and Slytherin..."

"Hufflepuff'll have to lose by at least two hundred points," said George.

"But if they beat Ravenclaw..."

"No way, Ravenclaw is too good. But if Slytherin loses against Hufflepuff..."

"It all depends on the points - a margin of a hundred either way -"

"George, what did you mean, when we fell? What exactly happened and why does my head feel like it got run over by a stampede of angry centaurs!" I asked slowly, still trying to get my bearings. I reach up and felt the bandages that had been wrapped around my head.

"Oh, after Harry fell and Diggory caught the Snitch, we noticed a bludger headed straight towards you. Fred and I tried to intercept it but we were too far away. We watched helplessly as it collided with your pretty little head and knocked you off your broom. As much as I hate that Diggory fellow right now, I will say this, he has good reflexes. He managed to catch you before you hit the ground." Fred and George walked over to my bed and knelt down before me.

"Can you ever forgive us, little one?"

"For what?" I looked at them in surprise at the pain in their eyes.

"For not being there -" Fred began.

" - to protect you," George finished for his twin.

"Oh, come now! That wasn't your fault! Bludgers knock people off their broom, it's what they do! It's a hazard we all know comes with playing the game."

"Princess, you are like a second sister to us. If anything had happened to you because we weren't there in time...we'd never be able to forgive ourselves..." my eyes widened as I watched the twins choke up with emotion. I felt a strange warm feeling wash over me at their words. Yet they felt wrong.

I reached out and pulled them onto my bed and hugged them fiercely; tears in my eyes.

"Ginny is lucky to have two such sweet and devoted brothers, but I do not deserve that kind of attention...especially from you..." I swallowed the lump in my throat as I remembered the boggart. The image of the two red-headed twins' bodies burning as they cried out for my help played before my eyes and I hung my head in shame. "And you know I hate that nickname! I'm about as much of a Princess as Filch is!"

Our bodies shook as the three of us chuckled at my last comment. My head was buried in Fred's shoulder so I didn't see the look the twins shared in response to my denial of affection.

We sat there on my bed in a mass of limbs until something they said finally registered in my brain.

"Hang on, did you say that Diggory saved me from falling? The Cedric Diggory!" I moaned in embarrassment and my cheeks turned tomato red.

The twins looked at me and groaned.

"Oh, no Freddy, not our little Princess as well..."

"See something you like, little one?" Fred wiggles his brows up and down suggestively and I yanked the covers up to hide my face. They laughed and pulled them back down before jumping on me and to tickling me all over.

After ten minutes or so, Madam Pomfrey came over to tell the team to leave him in peace and the twins finally let me up for a breather as the went back over to Harry's bed.

"We'll come and see you later," Fred told him. "Don't beat yourself up. Harry, you're still the best Seeker we've ever had."

The team trooped out, trailing mud behind them. Madam Pomfrey shut the door behind them, looking disapproving. Ron and Hermione moved to stand in between our beds.

"Dumbledore was really angry," Hermione said in a quaking voice. "I've never seen him like that before. He ran onto the field as you fell, waved his wand, and you sort of slowed down before you hit the ground. Then he whirled his wand at the Dementors. Shot silver stuff at them. They left the stadium right away...He was furious they'd come onto the grounds. We heard him -"

"Then he magicked you onto a stretcher said Ron. "And walked up to school with you floating on it. Cedric was following behind carrying Kat. Everyone thought you were..."

His voice faded, but I hardly noticed. I was thinking about what the Dementors had done to me...about the screaming voice. I looked up and saw Ron and Hermione looking at Harry and I so anxiously that I quickly cast around for something matter-of-fact to say.

"Did someone get our brooms?"

Ron and Hermione looked quickly at each other.

"Er -"

"What?" said Harry and I, looking from one to the other.

"Well...when you fell off, they got blown away," said Hermione hesitantly.

"And?"

"And they hit - they hit - oh, they hit the Whomping Willow."

My insides lurched. The Whomping Willow was a very violent tree that stood alone in the middle of the grounds.

"And?" I said, dreading the answer.

"Well, you know the Whomping Willow," said Ron. "It - it doesn't like being hit."

"Professor Flitwick brought them back just before you came around," said Hermione in a very small voice.

Slowly, she reached down for a bag at her feet, turned it upside down, and tipped a dozen bits of splintered wood and twig onto the beds, the only remains of our faithful, finally beaten broomsticks.


	10. The Marauder's Map

Read the last bit to find out a new reveal about Sirius Black! Comment what you think of the turn of events - hope y'all will enjoy.

Katrina's POV

Madam Pomfrey insisted on keeping Harry and I in the hospital wing for the rest of the weekend. We didn't argue or complain, but we also wouldn't let her throw away the shattered remnants of our Nimbus Two Thousands.

We both had a stream of visitors, all intent on cheering us up. Hagrid sent a bunch of earwiggy flowers that looked like yellow cabbages, and Ginny Weasley, blushing furiously, turned up with a get-well card she had made herself, which sang shrilly unless Harry kept it shut under his bowl of fruit. If things had been different between us lately, I would have teased him about it. The Gryffindor team visited again on Sunday morning, this time accompanied by Wood, who told Harry (in a hollow, dead sort of voice) that he didn't blame him in the slightest. Ron and Hermione left our bedsides only at night. But nothing anyone said or did could make us feel any better, because they knew only half of what was troubling us.

Neither of us had told anyone about the Grim, not even Ron and Hermione, because we knew Ron would panic and Hermione would scoff. I wasn't as worried but Harry didn't want them knowing since for him, it had appeared twice, and both appearances had been followed by near-fatal accidents; the first time, he had nearly been run over by the Knight Bus; the second, fallen fifty feet from his broomstick. He worried the Grim was going to haunt him until he actually died. I thought he was overreacting just a bit but then there were the dementors.

I felt sick and humiliated every time I thought of them. Everyone said the dementors were horrible, but no one but Harry and I collapsed every time they went near one. No one else heard echoes in their head of their dying mother.

Because I knew who that screaming voice belonged to now. I had heard her words, heard them over and over again during the night hours in the hospital wing while I lay awake, staring at the strips of moonlight on the ceiling. When the dementors approached me, I heard the last moments of my mother's life, her attempts to protect me from Lord Voldemort, and Voldemort's laughter before he murdered her...

I dozed fitfully, sinking into dreams full of clammy, rotted hands and petrified pleading, jerking awake to dwell again on my mother's voice. I could tell Harry wasn't faring any better but he'd made it clear he didn't want my help.

It was a relief to return to the noise and bustle of the main school on Monday, where I was forced to think about other things. Draco had spent much of our next Potions class doing dementor imitations across the dungeon at Harry; till Ron finally cracked and flung a large, slippery crocodile heart at Draco, which hit him in the face and caused Snape to take fifty points from Gryffindor.

"If Snape's teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts again, I'm skiving off," said Ron as they headed toward Lupin's classroom after lunch. "Check who's in there, Hermione."

Hermione peered around the classroom door.

"It's okay!"

Professor Lupin was back at work. It certainly looked as though he had been ill. His old robes were hanging more loosely on him and there were dark shadows beneath his eyes; nevertheless, he smiled at the class as we took our seats, and many burst at once into an explosion of complaints about Snape's behavior while Lupin had been ill.

"It's not fair, he was only filling in, why should he give us homework?"

"We don't know anything about werewolves—"

"—two rolls of parchment!"

"Did you tell Professor Snape we haven't covered them yet?" Lupin asked, frowning slightly.

The babble broke out again.

"Yes, but he said we were really behind—"

"—he wouldn't listen—"

"—two rolls of parchment!"

Professor Lupin smiled at the look of indignation on every face.

"Don't worry. I'll speak to Professor Snape. You don't have to do the essay."

"Oh no," said Hermione and I, looking at each other in disappointment. "We've already finished it!"

We had a very enjoyable lesson. Professor Lupin had brought along a glass box containing a hinkypunk, a little one-legged creature who looked as though he were made of wisps of smoke, rather frail and harmless-looking.

"Lures travelers into bogs," said Professor Lupin as we took notes. "You notice the lantern dangling from his hand? Hops ahead—people follow the light—then—"

The hinkypunk made a horrible squelching noise against the glass.

When the bell rang, everyone gathered up their things and headed for the door, Harry and I among them, but—

"Wait a moment, Harry, Katrina," Lupin called. "I'd like a word."

We doubled back and watched Professor Lupin covering the hinkypunk's box with a cloth.

"I heard about the match," said Lupin, turning back to his desk and starting to pile books into his briefcase, "and I'm sorry about your broomsticks. Is there any chance of fixing them?

"No," said Harry. "The tree smashed them to bits."

Lupin sighed.

"They planted the Whomping Willow the same year that I arrived at Hogwarts. People used to play a game, trying to get near enough to touch the trunk. In the end, a boy called Davey Gudgeon nearly lost an eye, and we were forbidden to go near it. No broomstick would have a chance.

"Did you hear about the dementors too?" said Harry with difficulty.

Lupin looked at us quickly.

"Yes, I did. I don't think any of us have seen Professor Dumbledore that angry. They have been growing restless for some time... furious at his refusal to let them inside the grounds... I suppose they were the reason you two fell?"

"Yes," said Harry.

"Well technically I got knocked off by a bludger -" I mumbled as Harry opened his mouth to speak again.

"Why? Why do they affect me - us- like that? Am I just—?"

"It has nothing to do with weakness," said Professor Lupin sharply, as though he had read Harry's mind. "The dementors affect you worse than the others because there are horrors in your pasts that the others don't have."

A ray of wintery sunlight fell across the classroom, illuminating Lupin's gray hairs and the lines on his young face.

"Dementors are among the foulest creatures that walk this earth. They infest the darkest, filthiest places, they glory in decay and despair, they drain peace, hope, and happiness out of the air around them. Even Muggles feel their presence, though they can't see them. Get too near a dementor and every good feeling, every happy memory will be sucked out of you. If it can, the dementor will feed on you long enough to reduce you to something like itself... soul-less and evil. You'll be left with nothing but the worst experiences of your life. And the worst that happened to you, Harry, Katrina, is enough to make anyone fall off their broom. You have nothing to feel ashamed of."

"When they get near me—" Harry stared at Lupin's desk and gulped. "I can hear Voldemort murdering my mum."

"Me too..." I whispered.

Lupin made a sudden motion with his arm as though to grip our shoulders, but thought better of it. There was a moment's silence, then—

"Why did they have to come to the match?" said Harry bitterly.

"They're getting hungry," said Lupin coolly, shutting his briefcase with a snap. "Dumbledore won't let them into the school, so their supply of human prey has dried up...I don't think they could resist the large crowd around the Quidditch field. All that excitement...emotions running high...it was their idea of a feast."

"Azkaban must be terrible," I muttered. Lupin nodded grimly.

"The fortress is set on a tiny island, way out to sea, but they don't need walls and water to keep the prisoners in, not when they're all trapped inside their own heads, incapable of a single cheerful thought. Most of them go mad within weeks."

"But Sirius Black escaped from them," Harry said slowly. "He got away..."

Lupin's briefcase slipped from the desk; he had to stoop quickly to catch it.

"Yes," he said, straightening up, "Black must have found a way to fight them. I wouldn't have believed it possible... Dementors are supposed to drain a wizard of his powers if he is left with them too long..."

"You made that dementor on the train back off," I said suddenly.

"There are—certain defenses one can use," said Lupin. "But there was only one dementor on the train. The more there are, the more difficult it becomes to resist."

"What defenses?" said Harry at once. "Can you teach me?"

"Us," I corrected.

"I don't pretend to be an expert at fighting dementors, quite the contrary..."

"But if the dementors come to another Quidditch match, we need to be able to fight them—" I said.

Lupin looked into our determined faces, hesitated, then said, "Well...all right. I'll try and help. But it'll have to wait until next term, I'm afraid. I have a lot to do before the holidays. I chose a very inconvenient time to fall ill." Harry left the room and I looked at Lupin closely as I walked over to him.

"I know what you are, Professor...I'm...I'm so sorry. I wish there was something I could do..."

Lupin looked at me sharply. "Wha-how, no idea what you're talking about..." Lupin sputtered.

"For the record, I don't care - you're still one of my favorite teachers," I whispered in his ear as I gave him a quick hug before dashing out of the room.

\----------------------------------------------

What with the promise of anti-dementor lessons from Lupin, the thought that I might never have to hear my mother's death again, and the fact that Ravenclaw flattened Hufflepuff in their Quidditch match at the end of November, my mood took a definite upturn. Gryffindor were not out of the running after all, although they could not afford to lose another match. Wood became repossessed of his manic energy, and worked the team as hard as ever in the chilly haze of rain that persisted into December. I saw no hint of a dementor within the grounds. Grandfather's anger seemed to be keeping them at their stations at the entrances.

I was walking back to my room after practice one evening when I heard footsteps approaching down the corridor. Fearing it was Pansy again, I ducked down and cowered behind one of the suits of armor.

I held my breath as the footsteps got closer and closer.

"Kat? Is that you?" I heard a male voice say. I slowly peered my head out from behind the suit and found myself staring into the warm gaze of Cedric Diggory. I blushed as he reached a hand out and helped me too my feet.

"What were you doing down there?" He asked, chuckling under his breath.

"Um...nothing, I just thought...doesn't matter," I mumbled looking down at the floor and twisting my hands in my robes.

"Just thought what?"

"It really doesn't matter..."

"It clearly matters to you, therefore it matters to me," Cedric stated firmly as he held my gaze.

"It's nothing really I just, just thought you were Pansy..." I mumbled to the floor as I shifted uncomfortably.

"You thought I was that Parkinson girl, so you hid behind a suit of armor? Why would you think I was her? And why hide?"

I shifted again and stayed silent, not knowing what to say.

The next thing I knew, a soft hand was lifting my chin up and I found myself lost into hazel eyes (I can't remember what color so just gonna go with that!)

"Has that girl been bothering you, Princess?" I started to shake my head when I realized what he'd said.

"Wait, what? Why, how, where did you hear that nickname?"

"You're the prettiest girl in school, did you really think I wouldn't have heard about your nickname by now?" Cedric laughed as he watched my face turn redder then ever at his words. I shook my head and tried to ignore the funny feeling in my stomach.

"Um hey, I never got to properly thank you for catching me the other day...so uh...thanks!" I stammered.

"It was my pleasure, Princess! Shall I walk you back to your room?"

I blushed again but nodded shyly. "I-I would like that, thank you! But please don't call me that, I'm most definitely not a Princess!"

As we walked back to my room, Cedric asked me about my classes and I got lost in conversation and forgot to feel nervous. By the time we got to my room, my sides were hurting from how much I had laughed. I thanked him for walking me to my room and entered my room; flopping onto my bed with a sigh. Man was he gorgeous! I giggled and hid my head in my pillow.

From then on, Cedric would be there to walk me back to my room after quidditch practice. He didn't say why, but I welcomed the company and I didn't have to find alternate routes back anymore which was certainly nice.

I couldn't understand why he was even giving me the time of day, but the more I got to know him, the more I realized there was more to him than just a pretty face.

\----------------------------------------------

Two weeks before the end of the term, the sky lightened suddenly to a dazzling, opaline white and the muddy grounds were revealed one morning covered in glittering frost. Inside the castle, there was a buzz of Christmas in the air. Professor Flitwick, the Charms teacher, had already decorated his classroom with shimmering lights that turned out to be real, fluttering fairies. The students were all happily discussing their plans for the holidays. Both Ron and Hermione had decided to remain at Hogwarts, and though Ron said it was because he couldn't stand two weeks with Percy, and Hermione insisted she needed to use the library, Harry and I weren't fooled; they were doing it to keep us company, and I was very grateful.

To everyone's delight except Harry's, there was to be another Hogsmeade trip on the very last weekend of the term.

"We can do all our Christmas shopping there!" said Hermione. "Mum and Dad would really love those Toothflossing Stringmints from Honeydukes!"

Resigned to the fact that he would be the only third year staying behind again, Harry borrowed a copy of Which Broomstick from Wood, and decided to spend the day reading up on the different makes. We had been riding two of the school brooms at team practice, ancient Shooting Stars, which were very slow and jerky; we definitely needed new brooms of our own.

On the Saturday morning of the Hogsmeade trip, Harry bid good-bye to Ron and Hermione; I didn't fail to notice his eyes linger on me before he turned up the marble staircase alone, and headed back toward Gryffindor Tower. Snow had started to fall outside the windows, and the castle was very still and quiet.

Hermione, Ron, and I decided to go to Honeydukes first. We entered the crowed shop and started looking around.

There were shelves upon shelves of the most succulent-looking sweets imaginable. Creamy chunks of nougat, shimmering pink squares of coconut ice, fat, honey-colored toffees, and hundreds of different kinds of chocolate in neat rows. Ron and Hermione made their way over to a section labeled UNUSUAL TASTES.

"Ugh, no, Harry won't want one of those, they're for vampires, I expect," Hermione said as Ron pointed to a blood flavored lollipop.

"How about these?" said Ron, shoving a jar of Cockroach Clusters under Hermione's nose.

"Definitely not," said Harry.

Ron nearly dropped the jar.

"Harry!" squealed Hermione. "What are you doing here? How—how did you—?"

"Wow!" said Ron, looking very impressed, "you've learned to Apparate!"

"'Course I haven't," said Harry. He dropped his voice so that none of the sixth years could hear him and told us all about the Marauder's Map.

"How come Fred and George never gave it to me!" said Ron, outraged. "I'm their brother!"

"But Harry isn't going to keep it!" said Hermione, as though the idea were ludicrous. "He's going to hand it in to Professor McGonagall, aren't you, Harry?"

"No, I'm not!" said Harry.

"Are you mad?" said Ron, goggling at Hermione. "Hand in something that good?"

"If I hand it in, I'll have to say where I got it! Filch would know Fred and George had nicked it!"

"But what about Sirius Black?" Hermione hissed. "He could be using one of the passages on that map to get into the castle! The teachers have got to know!"

"He can't be getting in through a passage," said Harry quickly. "There are seven secret tunnels on the map, right? Fred and George reckon Filch already knows about four of them. And of the other three—one of them's caved in, so no one can get through it. One of them's got the Whomping Willow planted over the entrance, so you can't get out of it. And the one I just came through—well—it's really hard to see the entrance to it down in the cellar, so unless he knew it was there..."

Ron cleared his throat significantly, and pointed to a notice pasted on the inside of the sweetshop door.

—— BY ORDER OF ——  
THE MINISTRY OF MAGIC  
Customers are reminded that until further notice, dementors will be patrolling the streets of Hogsmeade every night after sundown. This measure has been put in place for the safety of Hogsmeade residents and will be lifted upon the recapture of Sirius Black. It is therefore advisable that you complete your shopping well before nightfall.

Merry Christmas!

"See?" said Ron quietly. "I'd like to see Black try and break into Honeydukes with dementors swarming all over the village. Anyway, Hermione, the Honeydukes owners would hear a break-in, wouldn't they? They live over the shop!"

"Yes, but—but—" Hermoine seemed to be struggling to find another problem. "Look, Harry still shouldn't be coming into Hogsmeade. He hasn't got a signed form! If anyone finds out, he'll be in so much trouble! And it's not nightfall yet—what if Sirius Black turns up today? Now?"

"He'd have a job spotting Harry in this," said Ron, nodding through the mullioned windows at the thick, swirling snow. "Come on, Hermione, it's Christmas. Harry deserves a break."

Hermione bit her lip, looking extremely worried.

"Are you going to report me?" Harry asked her, grinning.

"Oh—of course not—but honestly, Harry—"

"Seen the Fizzing Whizbees, Harry?" said Ron, grabbing him and leading him over to their barrel. "And the Jelly Slugs? And the Acid Pops? Fred gave me one of those when I was seven—it burnt a hole right through my tongue. I remember Mum walloping him with her broomstick." Ron stared broodingly into the Acid Pop box. "Reckon Fred'd take a bit of Cockroach Cluster if I told him they were peanuts?"

When Ron and Hermione had paid for all their sweets, the four of us left Honeydukes for the blizzard outside.

Hogsmeade looked like a Christmas card; the little thatched cottages and shops were all covered in a layer of crisp snow; there were holly wreaths on the doors and strings of enchanted candles hanging in the trees.

"Tell you what," said Ron, his teeth chattering, "shall we go for a butterbeer in the Three Broomsticks?"

We crossed the road, and in a few minutes were entering the tiny inn.

It was extremely crowded, noisy, warm, and smoky. A curvy sort of woman with a pretty face was serving a bunch of rowdy warlocks up at the bar.

"That's Madam Rosmerta," said Ron. "I'll get the drinks, shall I?" he added, going slightly red.

Harry, Hermione, and I made our way to the back of the room, where there was a small, vacant table between the window and a handsome Christmas tree, which stood next to the fireplace. Ron came back five minutes later, carrying four foaming tankards of hot butterbeer.

"Merry Christmas!" he said happily, raising his tankard.

I drank deeply. It was the most delicious thing I'd ever tasted and seemed to heat every bit of me from the inside.

A sudden breeze ruffled my hair. The door of the Three Broomsticks had opened again. I looked over the rim of my tankard and choked.

Professors McGonagall and Flitwick had just entered the pub with a flurry of snowflakes, shortly followed by Hagrid, who was deep in conversation with a portly man in a lime-green bowler hat and a pinstriped cloak—Cornelius Fudge, Minister of Magic.

In an instant, Ron and Hermione had both placed hands on the top of Harry's head and forced him off his stool and under the table. We watched the teachers and Fudge move toward the bar, pause, then turn and walk right toward us.

I whispered, "Mobiliarbus!"

The Christmas tree beside our table rose a few inches off the ground, drifted sideways, and landed with a soft thump right in front of our table, hiding us from view.

"A small gillywater—"

"Mine," said Professor McGonagall's voice.

"Four pints of mulled mead—"

"Ta, Rosmerta," said Hagrid.

"A cherry syrup and soda with ice and umbrella—"

"Mmm!" said Professor Flitwick, smacking his lips.

"So you'll be the red currant rum, Minister."

"Thank you, Rosmerta, m'dear," said Fudge's voice. "Lovely to see you again, I must say. Have one yourself, won't you? Come and join us..."

"Well, thank you very much, Minister."

"So, what brings you to this neck of the woods, Minister?" came Madam Rosmerta's voice.

"What else, m'dear, but Sirius Black? I daresay you heard what happened up at the school at Halloween?"

"I did hear a rumor," admitted Madam Rosmerta.

"Did you tell the whole pub, Hagrid?" said Minnie exasperatedly.

"Do you think Black's still in the area, Minister?" whispered Madam Rosmerta.

"I'm sure of it," said Fudge shortly.

"You know that the dementors have searched the whole village twice?" said Madam Rosmerta, a slight edge to her voice. "Scared all my customers away... It's very bad for business, Minister."

"Rosmerta, m'dear, I don't like them any more than you do," said Fudge uncomfortably. "Necessary precaution... unfortunate, but there you are... I've just met some of them. They're in a fury against Dumbledore—he won't let them inside the castle grounds."

"I should think not," said Minnie sharply. "How are we supposed to teach with those horrors floating around?"

"Hear, hear!" squeaked tiny Professor Flitwick, whose feet were dangling a foot from the ground.

"All the same," demurred Fudge, "they are here to protect you all from something much worse...We all know what Black's capable of..."

"Do you know, I still have trouble believing it," said Madam Rosmerta thoughtfully. "Of all the people to go over to the Dark Side, Sirius Black was the last I'd have thought...I mean, I remember him when he was a boy at Hogwarts. If you'd told me then what he was going to become, I'd have said you'd had too much mead."

"You don't know the half of it, Rosmerta," said Fudge gruffly. "The worst he did isn't widely known."

"The worst?" said Madam Rosmerta, her voice alive with curiosity. "Worse than murdering all those poor people, you mean?"

"I certainly do," said Fudge.

"I can't believe that. What could possibly be worse?"

"You say you remember him at Hogwarts, Rosmerta," murmured Professor McGonagall. "Do you remember who his best friend was?"

"Naturally," said Madam Rosmerta, with a small laugh. "Never saw one without the other, did you? The number of times I had them in here—ooh, they used to make me laugh. Quite the double act, Sirius Black and James Potter!"

Harry dropped his tankard with a loud clunk. Ron kicked him.

"Precisely," said Professor McGonagall. "Black and Potter. Ringleaders of their little gang. Both very bright, of course—exceptionally bright, in fact—but I don't think we've ever had such a pair of troublemakers—"

"I dunno," chuckled Hagrid. "Fred and George Weasley could give 'em a run fer their money."

"You'd have thought Black and Potter were brothers!" chimed in Professor Flitwick. "Inseparable!"

"Of course they were," said Fudge. "Potter trusted Black beyond all his other friends. Nothing changed when they left school. Black was best man when James married Lily. And James was best man when Sirius married Eliana Dumbledore. The Potters were declared Katrina's godparents and of course they in turn named Sirius godfather to Harry. Neither Harry or Katrina have any idea, of course. You can imagine how the idea would torment them. The poor child. Her own father!

It was my turn to spill my tankard. Sirius Black had been married to my mother?! But then that made him...that meant...Cornelius Fudge had been talking about me! Sirius Black was my father! My blood went cold and my shoulders slumped. (Ok so as I mentioned earlier only Eliana, Albus, and Sirius knew who Kat's real father was; i.e. Tom Riddle, so as far as the rest of the world is concerned, Sirius is her father so for now that's what she's going to wrongly be told/think, so shhhh don't tell her!)

"Because Black turned out to be in league with You-Know-Who?" whispered Madam Rosmerta.

"Worse even than that, m'dear..." Fudge dropped his voice and proceeded in a sort of low rumble. "Not many people are aware that the Potters knew You-Know-Who was after them. Dumbledore, who was of course working tirelessly against You-Know-Who, had a number of useful spies. One of them tipped him off, and he alerted James, Lily, and Eliana at once. He advised them to all go into hiding. Well, of course, You-Know-Who wasn't an easy person to hide from. Dumbledore told them that their best chance was the Fidelius Charm."

"How does that work?" said Madam Rosmerta, breathless with interest. Professor Flitwick cleared his throat.

"An immensely complex spell," he said squeakily, "involving the magical concealment of a secret inside a single, living soul. The information is hidden inside the chosen person, or Secret-Keeper, and is henceforth impossible to find—unless, of course, the Secret-Keeper chooses to divulge it. As long as the Secret-Keeper refused to speak, You-Know-Who could search the village where Lily, James, and Eliana were staying for years and never find them, not even if he had his nose pressed against their sitting room window!"

"So Black was the Potters' and his Wife's Secret-Keeper?" whispered Madam Rosmerta.

"Naturally," said Professor McGonagall. "James Potter told Dumbledore that Black would die rather than tell where they were, that Black was planning to go into hiding himself...and yet, Dumbledore remained worried. I remember him offering to be the Potters' Secret-Keeper himself."

"He suspected Black?" gasped Madam Rosmerta.

"He was sure that somebody close to the Potters had been keeping You-Know-Who informed of their movements," said Professor McGonagall darkly. "Indeed, he had suspected for some time that someone on our side had turned traitor and was passing a lot of information to You-Know-Who."

"But James Potter insisted on using Black?"

"He did," said Fudge heavily. "And then, barely a week after the Fidelius Charm had been performed—"

"Black betrayed them?" breathed Madam Rosmerta.

"He did indeed. Black was tired of his double-agent role, he was ready to declare his support openly for You-Know-Who, and he seems to have planned this for the moment of the Potters' death. But, as we all know, You-Know-Who met his downfall in little Harry Potter and Katrina. Powers gone, horribly weakened, he fled. And this left Black in a very nasty position indeed. His master had fallen at the very moment when he, Black, had shown his true colors as a traitor. He had no choice but to run for it—"

"Filthy, stinkin' turncoat!" Hagrid said, so loudly that half the bar went quiet.

"Shh!" said Professor McGonagall.

"I met him!" growled Hagrid. "I musta bin the last ter see him before he killed all them people! It was me what rescued Harry and Kat from Lily an' James's house after they was killed! Jus' got em outta the ruins, poor little things, with a great slash across his forehead an her collarbone, an' his parents dead...her mother, an' Sirius Black turns up, on that flyin' motorbike he used ter ride. Never occurred ter me what he was doin' there. I didn' know he'd bin Lily an' James's Secret-Keeper. Thought he'd jus' heard the news o' You-Know-Who's attack an' come ter see what he could do. White an' shakin', he was. An' yeh know what I did? I COMFORTED THE MURDERIN' TRAITOR!" Hagrid roared.

"Hagrid, please!" said Professor McGonagall. "Keep your voice down!"

"How was I ter know he wasn' upset abou' Lily, James, an his wife? It was You-Know-Who he cared abou'! An' then he says, 'Give em ter me, Hagrid, I'm his godfather and she's my daughter, I'll look after em—' Ha! But I'd had me orders from Dumbledore, an' I told Black no, Dumbledore said Harry was ter go ter his aunt an' uncle's and Kat would stay with Dumbledore himself at Hogwarts. Black argued, but in the end he gave in. Told me ter take his motorbike ter get them there. 'I won't need it anymore,' he says. I shoulda known there was somethin' fishy goin' on then. He loved that motorbike, what was he givin' it ter me for? Why wouldn' he need it anymore? Fact was, it was too easy ter trace. Dumbledore knew he'd bin the Potters' Secret-Keeper. Black knew he was goin' ter have ter run fer it that night, knew it was a matter o' hours before the Ministry was after him.

"But what if I'd given em to him, eh? I bet he'd've pitched em off the bike halfway out ter sea. His bes' friends' son! His own child! But when a wizard goes over ter the Dark Side, there's nothin' and no one that matters to 'em anymore..."

A long silence followed Hagrid's story. Then Madam Rosmerta said with some satisfaction, "But he didn't manage to disappear, did he? The Ministry of Magic caught up with him next day!"

"Alas, if only we had," said Fudge bitterly. "It was not we who found him. It was little Peter Pettigrew—another of the Potters' friends. Maddened by grief, no doubt, and knowing that Black had been the Potters' Secret-Keeper, he went after Black himself."

"Pettigrew...that fat little boy who was always tagging around after them at Hogwarts?" said Madam Rosmerta.

"He worshipped Black and Potter," said Professor McGonagall. "Never quite in their league, talent-wise. I was often rather sharp with him. You can imagine how I—how I regret that now..." She sounded as though she had a sudden head cold.

"There, now, Minerva," said Fudge kindly, "Pettigrew died a hero's death. Eyewitnesses—Muggles, of course, we wiped their memories later—told us how Pettigrew cornered Black. They say he was sobbing, 'Lily and James, Eliana, Sirius! How could you?' And then he went for his wand. Well, of course, Black was quicker. Blew Pettigrew to smithereens..."

Professor McGonagall blew her nose and said thickly, "Stupid boy...foolish boy...he was always hopeless at dueling...should have left it to the Ministry..."

"I tell yeh, if I'd got ter Black before little Pettigrew did, I wouldn't've messed around with wands—I'd've ripped him limb—from—limb," Hagrid growled.

"You don't know what you're talking about, Hagrid," said Fudge sharply. "Nobody but trained Hit Wizards from the Magical Law Enforcement Squad would have stood a chance against Black once he was cornered. I was Junior Minister in the Department of Magical Catastrophes at the time, and I was one of the first on the scene after Black murdered all those people. I—I will never forget it. I still dream about it sometimes. A crater in the middle of the street, so deep it had cracked the sewer below. Bodies everywhere. Muggles screaming. And Black standing there laughing, with what was left of Pettigrew in front of him...a heap of bloodstained robes and a few—a few fragments—"

Fudge's voice stopped abruptly. There was the sound of five noses being blown.

"Well, there you have it, Rosmerta," said Fudge thickly. "Black was taken away by twenty members of the Magical Law Enforcement Squad and Pettigrew received the Order of Merlin, First Class, which I think was some comfort to his poor mother. Black's been in Azkaban ever since."

Madam Rosmerta let out a long sigh.

"Is it true he's mad, Minister?"

"I wish I could say that he was," said Fudge slowly. "I certainly believe his master's defeat unhinged him for a while. The murder of Pettigrew and all those Muggles was the action of a cornered and desperate man—cruel... pointless. Yet I met Black on my last inspection of Azkaban. You know, most of the prisoners in there sit muttering to themselves in the dark; there's no sense in them...but I was shocked at how normal Black seemed. He spoke quite rationally to me. It was unnerving. You'd have thought he was merely bored—asked if I'd finished with my newspaper, cool as you please, said he missed doing the crossword. Yes, I was astounded at how little effect the dementors seemed to be having on him—and he was one of the most heavily guarded in the place, you know. Dementors outside his door day and night."

"But what do you think he's broken out to do?" said Madam Rosmerta. "Good gracious, Minister, he isn't trying to rejoin You-Know-Who, is he?"

"I daresay that is his—er—eventual plan," said Fudge evasively. "But we hope to catch Black long before that. I must say, You-Know-Who alone and friendless is one thing...but give him back his most devoted servant, and I shudder to think how quickly he'll rise again..."

There was a small chink of glass on wood. Someone had set down their glass.

"You know, Cornelius, if you're dining with the headmaster, we'd better head back up to the castle," said Professor McGonagall.

One by one, the pairs of feet in front of us took the weight of their owners once more; hems of cloaks swung into sight, and Madam Rosemerta's glittering heels disappeared behind the bar. The door of the Three Broomsticks opened again, there was another flurry of snow, and the teachers had disappeared.

"Harry? Katrina?"

Ron's and Hermione's faces appeared under the table. They were both staring at us, lost for words. I didn't know what to say myself. My father, my own flesh and blood had been responsible for not only my mother's death but the death of my best friend's parents!


	11. The Firebolts

Katrina's POV

I barely payed attention as Hermione, Ron, and I walked back to the castle; Harry had gone back through the cellar in Honeydukes. All I knew was that the return trip seemed to take no time at all, and I hardly noticed what I was doing, because my head was still pounding with the conversation I had just heard. 

Why had nobody ever told me? Dumbledore, Hagrid, Severus, Minnie...why hadn't anyone ever mentioned the fact that Harry's parents and my own mother had died because their best friend; my father, had betrayed them? Not to mention, killing thirteen people!

Ron and Hermione watched Harry and I nervously all through dinner, not daring to talk about what we'd overheard, because Percy was sitting close by us. I didn't have much of an appetite, so I just pushed my food around without actually eating any of it. When we went upstairs to the crowded common room, it was to find Fred and George had set off half a dozen Dungbombs in a fit of end-of-term high spirits. Harry and I snuck past the twins and headed for his room and sat down on his bed, drew the hangings around us and started turning the pages of the photo album Hagrid had given to him our first year, searching, until...

He stopped on a picture of his parents' wedding day. There was his mother and father and standing next to them...their best man...my father. Smiling and waving, he looked a completely different person. If I hadn't known who he was, I never would have guess the person in the Daily Prophet picture was the same man standing beside Harry's dad.

I hung my head as I turned to Harry slowly.

"Harry, is, is this why you haven't been talking to me this year? Because of my dad?"

It was a long moment before he finally spoke. "Yes, I guess so..."

I felt my blood turn to ice at his words. I opened and closed my mouth trying to find something appropriate to say.

"Harry, I-I..."

"Look, I don't want to talk about it, leave it alone!" He stood up abruptly and strode off to look out the window.

Harry's POV

"Harry, is, is this why you haven't been talking to me this year? Because of my dad?" At Kat's words, I froze, unsure of what to say. While I had definitely not known Sirius Black had been married to her mother, I knew for certain that he was not in fact her actual father. But how could I tell her that whatever she was thinking about her dad right now, it was barely scraping the surface! I didn't want to lie to her but neither did I want to destroy her world anymore than it had already been!

Looking at her now, I knew I had been stupid to ever think that my best friend would have anything to do with her father. She was not evil like him, she was...well, she was just Kat! I felt lighter than I had in a while as I finally let go and decided that I did not care one bit who her father was and what he had done - Dumbledore was right though, she wasn't ready to know the truth yet. It was safer and more merciful to let her think Sirius was her father; as strange as that may seem.

It was a long moment before I finally spoke. "Yes, I guess so..." After all, it was because of her father; her real father that is, that I had been so distant with her lately so it wasn't a lie really.

"Harry, I-I..."

"Look, I don't want to talk about it, leave it alone!" I stood up abruptly and strode off to look out the window. Then turned back around and grasped her hands in mine; feeling bad for yelling at her.

"Look, Kat...I don't really know what to say right now but just know this, I don't blame you for who your father is. You are not him and you will never be anything like him! But this news about Sirius...I...I don't know what to make of it right now - so please, I just need time, we both just need time to process."

The dormitory door opened.

"Harry? Katrina?" said Ron's voice uncertainly.

"Not now Ron, we're going to go to bed, Kat needs some rest," I said, fighting against her until I finally managed to get her under the covers and hug her tight. Man, how I'd missed her hugs!

A hatred such as I had never known before was coursing through me like poison. I could see Black laughing at me through the darkness, as though somebody had pasted the picture from the album over my eyes. I held onto Kat tightly as I wrapped my blanket around us tighter and tried to go to sleep. But I could tell that neither of us were gonna get much tonight.

\----------------------------------------------

Katrina's POV

"Harry, Katrina, you—you look terrible."

Neither Harry or I had gotten much sleep. We had awoken to find the dormitory deserted, dressed, and gone down the spiral staircase to a common room that was completely empty except for Ron, who was eating a Peppermint Toad and massaging his stomach, and Hermione, who had spread her homework over three tables.

"Where is everyone?" said Harry.

"Gone! It's the first day of the holidays, remember?" said Ron, watching Harry closely. "It's nearly lunchtime; I was going to come and wake you up in a minute."

Harry slumped into a chair next to the fire as I joined Hermione at the table. Snow was still falling outside the windows. Crookshanks was spread out in front of the fire like a large, ginger rug.

"You really don't look well, you know. Either of you," Hermione said, peering anxiously into my face.

"We're fine," said Harry and I together; but I didn't have the heart to shout jinx.

"Harry, Katrina, listen," said Hermione, exchanging a look with Ron, "you must be really upset about what we heard yesterday. But the thing is, you mustn't go doing anything stupid."

"Like what?" said Harry.

"Like trying to go after Black," said Ron sharply.

I could tell they had rehearsed this conversation while we had been asleep. I didn't say anything.

"You won't, will you?" said Hermione.

"Because Black's not worth dying for," said Ron.

I looked at them. They didn't seem to understand at all.

"D'you know what we see and hear every time a dementor gets too near us?" I started to say. Ron and Hermione shook their heads, looking apprehensive.

"I can hear my mum screaming and pleading with Voldemort. And if you'd heard your mum screaming like that, just about to be killed, you wouldn't forget it in a hurry. And if you found out someone who was supposed to be a friend of hers betrayed her and sent Voldemort after her—" Harry tried to explain.

"There's nothing you can do!" said Hermione, looking stricken. "The dementors will catch Black and he'll go back to Azkaban and—and serve him right!"

"You heard what Fudge said. Black isn't affected by Azkaban like normal people are. It's not a punishment for him like it is for the others."

"So what are you saying?" said Ron, looking very tense. "You want to—to kill Black or something?"

"Don't be silly," said Hermione in a panicky voice. "Harry doesn't want to kill anyone, do you, Harry?" I looked at my best friend in apprehension. I didn't know how I felt myself either but I definitely was feeling close to murderous and knew he must be feeling the same.

Again, Harry didn't answer.

"Malfoy knows," he said abruptly. "Remember what he said to me in Potions? 'If it was me, I'd hunt him down myself...I'd want revenge.'"

"You're going to take Malfoy's advice instead of ours?" said Ron furiously. "Listen...you know what Pettigrew's mother got back after Black had finished with him? Dad told me—the Order of Merlin, First Class, and Pettigrew's finger in a box. That was the biggest bit of him they could find. Black's a madman and he's dangerous—"

"Malfoy's dad must have told him," said Harry, ignoring Ron. "He was right in Voldemort's inner circle—"

"Say You-Know-Who, will you?" interjected Ron angrily.

"—so obviously, the Malfoys knew Black was working for Voldemort—"

"—and Malfoy'd love to see you blown into about a million pieces, like Pettigrew! Get a grip. Malfoy's just hoping you'll get yourself killed before he has to play you at Quidditch."

"Harry, please," said Hermione, her eyes now shining with tears, "please be sensible. Kat's father did a terrible, terrible thing, but d-don't put yourself in danger, it's what Black wants...Oh, you'd be playing right into Black's hands if you went looking for him. Your parents wouldn't want you two to get hurt, would they? They'd never want you to go looking for Black!"

"We'll never know what they'd have wanted, because thanks to Black, we've never spoken to them," said Harry shortly.

There was a silence in which Crookshanks stretched luxuriously, flexing his claws. Ron's pocket quivered.

"Look," said Ron, obviously casting around for a change of subject, "it's the holidays! It's nearly Christmas! Let's—let's go down and see Hagrid. We haven't visited him for ages!"

"No!" said Hermione quickly. "Harry and Katrina aren't supposed to leave the castle, Ron—"

"Yeah, let's go," said Harry, sitting up.

I nodded as I stood up as well "and we can ask him how come he never mentioned Black when he told us all about Harry's parents!"

Further discussion of Sirius Black plainly wasn't what Ron had had in mind.

"Or we could have a game of chess," he said hastily, "or Gobstones. Percy left a set—"

"No, let's visit Hagrid," said Harry firmly.

So we got our cloaks from our dormitories and set off through the portrait hole ("Stand and fight, you yellow-bellied mongrels!"), down through the empty castle and out through the oak front doors.

We made our way slowly down the lawn, making a shallow trench in the glittering, powdery snow, our socks and the hems of our cloaks soaked and freezing. The Forbidden Forest looked as though it had been enchanted, each tree smattered with silver, and Hagrid's cabin looked like an iced cake.

Ron knocked, but there was no answer.

"He's not out, is he?" said Hermione, who was shivering under her cloak.

Ron had his ear to the door.

"There's a weird noise," he said. "Listen—is that Fang?"

Harry, Hermione, and I put our ears to the door too. From inside the cabin came a series of low, throbbing moans.

"Think we'd better go and get someone?" said Ron nervously.

"Hagrid!" called Harry, thumping the door. "Hagrid, are you in there?"

There was a sound of heavy footsteps, then the door creaked open. Hagrid stood there with his eyes red and swollen, tears splashing down the front of his leather vest.

"Yeh've heard?" he bellowed, and he flung himself onto mine and Harry's necks.

Hagrid being at least twice the size of a normal man, this was no laughing matter. Harry and I, about to collapse under Hagrid's weight, were rescued by Ron and Hermione, who each seized Hagrid under an arm and heaved him back into the cabin. Hagrid allowed himself to be steered into a chair and slumped over the table, sobbing uncontrollably, his face glazed with tears that dripped down into his tangled beard.

"Hagrid, what is it?" said Hermione, aghast.

I spotted an official-looking letter lying open on the table.

"What's this, Hagrid?"

Hagrid's sobs redoubled, but he shoved the letter toward Harry, who picked it up and read aloud:

Dear Mr. Hagrid,

Further to our inquiry into the attack by a hippogriff on a student in your class, we have accepted the assurances of Professor Dumbledore that you bear no responsibility for the regrettable incident.

"Well, that's okay then, Hagrid!" said Ron, clapping Hagrid on the shoulder. But Hagrid continued to sob, and waved one of his gigantic hands, inviting Harry to read on.

However, we must register our concern about the hippogriff in question. We have decided to uphold the official complaint of Mr. Lucius Malfoy, and this matter will therefore be taken to the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures. The hearing will take place on April 20th, and we ask you to present yourself and your hippogriff at the Committee's offices in London on that date. In the meantime, the hippogriff should be kept tethered and isolated.

Yours in fellowship...

There followed a list of the school governors.

"Oh," said Ron. "But you said Buckbeak isn't a bad hippogriff, Hagrid. I bet he'll get off—"

"Yeh don' know them gargoyles at the Committee fer the Disposal o' Dangerous Creatures!" choked Hagrid, wiping his eyes on his sleeve. "They've got it in fer interestin' creatures!"

A sudden sound from the corner of Hagrid's cabin made Harry, Ron, Hermione, and I whip around. Buckbeak the hippogriff was lying in the corner, chomping on something that was oozing blood all over the floor.

"I couldn' leave him tied up out there in the snow!" choked Hagrid. "All on his own! At Christmas."

We looked at one another. We had never seen eye to eye with Hagrid about what he called "interesting creatures" and other people called "terrifying monsters." On the other hand, there didn't seem to be any particular harm in Buckbeak. In fact, by Hagrid's usual standards, he was positively cute.

"You'll have to put up a good strong defense, Hagrid," said Hermione, sitting down and laying a hand on Hagrid's massive forearm as Drake flew over to me and landed on my shoulder and wrapped himself around my neck.

"I'm sure you can prove Buckbeak is safe!" I told Hagrid as I stroked Drake's scales. The motion was somehow soothing and I found that my little dragon's presence appeared to be helping to calm me down.

"Won't make no diff'rence!" sobbed Hagrid. "Them Disposal devils, they're all in Lucius Malfoy's pocket! Scared o' him! An' if I lose the case, Buckbeak—"

Hagrid drew his finger swiftly across his throat, then gave a great wail and lurched forward, his face in his arms.

"What about Dumbledore, Hagrid?" said Harry.

"He's done more'n enough fer me already," groaned Hagrid. "Got enough on his plate what with keepin' them dementors outta the castle, an' Sirius Black lurkin' around—"

Ron and Hermione looked quickly at Harry and I, as though expecting us to start berating Hagrid for not telling us the truth about Black. But neither one of us could bring ourselves to do it, not now that we saw Hagrid so miserable and scared.

"Listen, Hagrid," Harry said, "you can't give up. Hermione and Kat are right, you just need a good defense. You can call us as witnesses—"

"I'm sure I've read about a case of hippogriff-baiting," said Hermione thoughtfully, "where the hippogriff got off. I'll look it up for you, Hagrid, and see exactly what happened."

Hagrid howled still more loudly. Harry and Hermione looked at Ron to help them.

"Er—shall I make a cup of tea?" said Ron.

I stared at him.

"It's what my mum does whenever someone's upset," Ron muttered, shrugging.

At last, after many more assurances of help, with a steaming mug of tea in front of him, Hagrid blew his nose on a handkerchief the size of a tablecloth and said, "Yer right. I can' afford to go ter pieces. Gotta pull meself together..."

Fang the boarhound came timidly out from under the table and laid his head on Hagrid's knee.

"I've not bin meself lately," said Hagrid, stroking Fang with one hand and mopping his face with the other. "Worried abou' Buckbeak, an' no one likin' me classes—"

"We do like them!" lied Hermione at once.

"Yeah, they're great!" said Ron, crossing his fingers under the table. "Er—how are the flobberworms?"

"Dead," said Hagrid gloomily. "Too much lettuce."

"Oh no!" said Ron, his lip twitching.

"An' them dementors make me feel ruddy terrible an' all," said Hagrid, with a sudden shudder. "Gotta walk past 'em ev'ry time I want a drink in the Three Broomsticks. 'S like bein' back in Azkaban—"

He fell silent, gulping his tea. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and I watched him breathlessly. We had never heard Hagrid talk about his brief spell in Azkaban before. After a pause, Hermione said timidly, "Is it awful in there, Hagrid?"

"Yeh've no idea," said Hagrid quietly. "Never bin anywhere like it. Thought I was goin' mad. Kep' goin' over horrible stuff in me mind...the day I got expelled from Hogwarts...day me dad died...day I had ter let Norbert go..."

His eyes filled with tears. Norbert was the baby dragon Hagrid had once won in a game of cards. At his last words I held Drake tighter in my arms, finally understanding how Hagrid must have felt at the time. I don't know what I would do if Drake was ever taken away from me! I kissed his scaley forehead and in turn, he licked my cheek with his forked tongue.

"Yeh can' really remember who yeh are after a while. An' yeh can' see the point o' livin' at all. I used ter hope I'd jus' die in me sleep...When they let me out, it was like bein' born again, ev'rythin' came floodin' back, it was the bes' feelin' in the world. Mind, the dementors weren't keen on lettin' me go."

"But you were innocent!" said Hermione.

Hagrid snorted.

"Think that matters to them? They don' care. Long as they've got a couple o' hundred humans stuck there with 'em, so they can leech all the happiness out of 'em, they don' give a damn who's guilty an' who's not."

Hagrid went quiet for a moment, staring into his tea. Then he said quietly, "Thought o' jus' letting Buckbeak go...tryin' ter make him fly away...but how d'yeh explain ter a hippogriff it's gotta go inter hidin'? An'—an' I'm scared o' breakin' the law..." He looked up at them, tears leaking down his face again. "I don' ever want ter go back ter Azkaban."

The trip to Hagrid's, though far from fun, had nevertheless had the effect Ron and Hermione had hoped. Though Harry and I had by no means forgotten about Black, we couldn't brood constantly on revenge if we wanted to help Hagrid win his case against the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures. He, Ron, Hermione, and I went to the library the next day and returned to the empty common room laden with books that might help prepare a defense for Buckbeak. The four of us sat in front of the roaring fire, slowly turning the pages of dusty volumes about famous cases of marauding beasts, speaking occasionally when we ran across something relevant.

"Here's something...there was a case in 1722...but the hippogriff was convicted—ugh, look what they did to it, that's disgusting—"

"This might help, look—a manticore savaged someone in 1296, and they let the manticore off—oh—no, that was only because everyone was too scared to go near it..."

Meanwhile, in the rest of the castle, the usual magnificent Christmas decorations had been put up, despite the fact that hardly any of the students remained to enjoy them. Thick streamers of holly and mistletoe were strung along the corridors, mysterious lights shone from inside every suit of armor, and the Great Hall was filled with its usual twelve Christmas trees, glittering with golden stars. A powerful and delicious smell of cooking pervaded the corridors, and by Christmas Eve, it had grown so strong that even Scabbers poked his nose out of the shelter of Ron's pocket to sniff hopefully at the air.

On Christmas morning, I was woken by Hermione dashing into my room and throwing a pillow at me as she jumped up and down on my bed.

"Presents!"

"Ugh, Mione, remind me why I gave you the password to my room!" I groaned as I rolled out of bed and stumbled into the bathroom.

"Because I'm your best friend!" She called after me. I brushed my teeth and hair then changed my clothes before joining Hermione as we walked back to join Ron and Harry in the Gryffindor Common Room.

"Another sweater from Mum...maroon again...see if you've got them as well," Ron said to us as we sat in front of the fireplace opening our presents.

I had. Mrs. Weasley had sent me a dark blue sweater with the letter K knitted on the front in pale blue, also a dozen home-baked mince pies, some Christmas cake, and a box of nut brittle.

I opened Harry's gift next and gasped. It was another charm for my bracelet only this one looked exactly like a mini version of Drake - down to the last detail. I ran to Harry and hugged him tightly as he attached the charm for me. Then I turned to a long, thin package.

"What're those?" said Ron, looking over, a freshly unwrapped pair of maroon socks in his hand.

"Dunno..."

Harry and I ripped the parcels open and gasped as two magnificent, gleaming broomsticks rolled out onto the floor. Ron dropped his socks and jumped over for a closer look.

"I don't believe it," he said hoarsely.

They were Firebolts, identical to the dream broom I had seen in the shop window in Diagon Alley over the summer with Sev. Handles glittered as we picked them up. I could feel it vibrating and let go; it hung in midair, unsupported, at exactly the right height for me to mount it. My eyes moved from the golden registration number at the top of the handle, right down to the perfectly smooth, streamlined birch twigs that made up the tail.

"Who sent them to you?" said Ron in a hushed voice.

"Look and see if there's a card," said Harry to Ron while I tore through the wrapping paper mine had come in.

"Nothing! Blimey, who'd spend that much on you two."

"Well," said Harry, feeling stunned, "I'm betting it wasn't the Dursleys."

"And I don't have anyone..." I paused as I remembered that this was no longer true. I obviously had grandfather but no one was supposed to know about the two of us and apparently now I had Sirius Black as well; not that I wanted him...

"I bet it was Dumbledore," said Ron, now walking around and around the Firebolts, taking in every glorious inch. "He sent you the Invisibility Cloak anonymously..."

"That was my dad's, though," said Harry. "Dumbledore was just passing it on to me. He wouldn't spend hundreds of Galleons on me. He can't go giving students stuff like this—" Harry looked over at me as he said this, knowing that Dumbledore would have very well sent one to me if circumstances had allowed for less secrecy between us.

"That's why he wouldn't say it was from him!" said Ron. "In case some git like Malfoy said it was favoritism. Hey, Harry"—Ron gave a great whoop of laughter—"Malfoy! Wait till he sees you on these! He'll be sick as a pig! These are international standard brooms!" I rolled my eyes as I thought of Draco's reaction. Ron was not wrong.

"I can't believe this," Harry muttered, running a hand along his Firebolt, while Ron sank onto one of the cushy armchairs by the fire, laughing his head off at the thought of Malfoy. "Who—?"

"I know," said Ron, controlling himself, "I know who it could've been—Lupin!"

"What?" said Harry and I, now starting to laugh along with Ron. "Lupin? Listen, if he had this much gold, he'd be able to buy himself some new robes." I frowned at Harry's rude comment but let it go, he didn't know the truth about Lupin like Hermione and I.

"Yeah, but he likes you," said Ron. "And he was away when your Nimbuses (Nimbusi? Lmao what's the plural?) got smashed, and he might've heard about it and decided to visit Diagon Alley and get these for you two—"

"What d'you mean, he was away?" said Harry. "He was ill when we were playing in that match."

"Well, he wasn't in the hospital wing," said Ron. "I was there, cleaning out the bedpans on that detention from Snape, remember?"

Harry frowned at Ron.

"I can't see Lupin affording something like this."

Hermione and I shared a knowing look just as Crookshanks, who was looking very grumpy, with a string of tinsel tied around his neck, walked into the common room.

"Don't let him in here!" said Ron, hurriedly snatching Scabbers from the depths of the couch and stowing him in his pajama pocket. But Hermione wasn't listening. She was still looking at the new brooms open-mouthed.

"What's the matter with you?" said Ron.

"I don't know," said Hermione slowly, "but it's a bit odd, isn't it? I mean, these are supposed to be quite good brooms, aren't they?"

Ron sighed exasperatedly.

"They're the best brooms there is, Hermione," he said.

"So they must've been really expensive..."

"Probably cost more than all the Slytherins' brooms put together," said Ron happily.

"Well...who'd send Harry and Kat something as expensive as that, and not even tell them they'd sent it?" said Hermione.

"Who cares?" said Ron impatiently. "Listen, Harry, can I have a go on yours? Can I?"

"I don't think anyone should ride those broom just yet!" said Hermione shrilly.

Harry, Ron, and I looked at her.

"What d'you think they're going to do with them - sweep the floor?" said Ron.

But before Hermione could answer, Crookshanks sprang from his spot beside Hermione, right at Ron's chest.

"GET—HIM—OUT—OF—HERE!" Ron bellowed as Crookshanks's claws ripped his pajamas and Scabbers attempted a wild escape over his shoulder. Ron seized Scabbers by the tail and aimed a misjudged kick at Crookshanks that hit the chair leg and causing Ron to hop up and down, howling with pain.

"You'd better take that cat out of here, Hermione," said Ron furiously, sitting back down nursing his toe. Hermione picked her cat up and I followed her out of the room. We finished opening up our presents in my room instead.

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Christmas spirit was definitely thin on the ground in the Gryffindor common room later that day. Hermione had shut Crookshanks in her dormitory, but was furious with Ron for trying to kick him; Ron was still fuming about Crookshanks's fresh attempt to eat Scabbers. Harry and I gave up trying to make them talk to each other and devoted ourselves to examining the Firebolts. For some reason this seemed to annoy Hermione as well; she didn't say anything, but she kept looking darkly at the brooms as though they too had been criticizing her cat.

At lunchtime we went down to the Great Hall, to find that the House tables had been moved against the walls again, and that a single table, set for twelve, stood in the middle of the room. My grandfather, Minnie, Sev, Sprout, and Flitwick were there, along with Filch, the caretaker, who had taken off his usual brown coat and was wearing a very old and rather moldy-looking tailcoat. There were only three other students, two extremely nervous-looking first years and a sullen-faced Slytherin fifth year.

"Merry Christmas!" said grandfather as the four of us approached the table. "As there are so few of us, it seemed foolish to use the House tables...Sit down, sit down!"

We sat down side by side at the end of the table.

"Crackers!" said Dumbledore enthusiastically, offering the end of a large silver noisemaker to Sev, who took it reluctantly and tugged. With a bang like a gunshot, the cracker flew apart to reveal a large, pointed witch's hat topped with a stuffed vulture.

Remembering the boggart, I grinned; Sev's mouth thinned and he pushed the hat toward Dumbledore, who swapped it for his wizard's hat at once.

"Dig in!" he advised the table, beaming around.

As I piled roast potatoes onto my plate for the sake of appearances, the doors of the Great Hall opened again. It was Professor Trelawney, gliding toward us as though on wheels. She had put on a green sequined dress in honor of the occasion, making her look more than ever like a glittering, oversized dragonfly.

"Sibyll, this is a pleasant surprise!" said Dumbledore, standing up.

"I have been crystal gazing, Headmaster," said Professor Trelawney in her mistiest, most faraway voice, "and to my astonishment, I saw myself abandoning my solitary luncheon and coming to join you. Who am I to refuse the promptings of fate? I at once hastened from my tower, and I do beg you to forgive my lateness..."

"Certainly, certainly," said Dumbledore, his eyes twinkling. "Let me draw you up a chair—"

And he did indeed draw a chair in midair with his wand, which revolved for a few seconds before falling with a thud between Sev and Minnie. Professor Trelawney, however, did not sit down; her enormous eyes had been roving around the table, and she suddenly uttered a kind of soft scream.

"I dare not, Headmaster! If I join the table, we shall be thirteen! (Not sure if this is still the same with Kat there but just pretend it still totals 13 or whatever k? Lol) Nothing could be more unlucky! Never forget that when thirteen dine together, the first to rise will be the first to die!"

"We'll risk it, Sibyll," said Minnie impatiently. "Do sit down, the turkey's getting stone cold."

Professor Trelawney hesitated, then lowered herself into the empty chair, eyes shut and mouth clenched tight, as though expecting a thunderbolt to hit the table. Minnie poked a large spoon into the nearest tureen.

"Tripe, Sibyll?"

Professor Trelawney ignored her. Eyes open again, she looked around once more and said, "But where is dear Professor Lupin?"

"I'm afraid the poor fellow is ill again," said Dumbledore, indicating that everybody should start serving themselves. "Most unfortunate that it should happen on Christmas Day."

"But surely you already knew that, Sibyll?" said Minnie, her eyebrows raised.

Professor Trelawney gave Minnie a very cold look.

"Certainly I knew, Minerva," she said quietly. "But one does not parade the fact that one is All-Knowing. I frequently act as though I am not possessed of the Inner Eye, so as not to make others nervous."

"That explains a great deal," said Minnie tartly. I giggled and as she caught my eye, the corners of her lips tugged into a brief smile.

Professor Trelawney's voice suddenly became a good deal less misty.

"If you must know, Minerva, I have seen that poor Professor Lupin will not be with us for very long. He seems aware, himself, that his time is short. He positively fled when I offered to crystal gaze for him—"

"Imagine that," said Professor McGonagall dryly.

"I doubt," said Dumbledore, in a cheerful but slightly raised voice, which put an end to Professor McGonagall and Professor Trelawney's conversation, "that Professor Lupin is in any immediate danger. Severus, you've made the potion for him again?"

"Yes, Headmaster," said Sev.

"Good," said grandfather. "Then he should be up and about in no time... Derek, have you had any of these chipolatas? They're excellent."

The first-year boy went furiously red on being addressed directly by Dumbledore, and took the platter of sausages with trembling hands. I giggled once more at the boy's reaction.

Professor Trelawney behaved almost normally until the very end of Christmas dinner, two hours later. Full to bursting with Christmas dinner and still wearing their party hats, Harry and Ron got up first from the table and she shrieked loudly.

"My dears! Which of you left his seat first? Which?"

"Dunno," said Ron, looking uneasily at Harry.

"I doubt it will make much difference," said Professor McGonagall coldly, "unless a mad axe-man is waiting outside the doors to slaughter the first into the entrance hall." I burst out laughing at this.

Even Ron laughed. Professor Trelawney looked highly affronted.

"Coming?" Harry said to Hermione as Ron and I followed him out. I hadn't eaten much, just pushed the potatoes around my plate, my appetite still diminished and I was more than happy to leave at the first chance I got, but Hermione was staying back for some reason.

"No," Hermione muttered, "I want a quick word with Professor McGonagall."

"Probably trying to see if she can take any more classes," yawned Ron as we made our way into the entrance hall, which was completely devoid of mad axe-men.

When we reached the portrait hole, we found Sir Cadogan enjoying a Christmas party with a couple of monks, several previous headmasters of Hogwarts, and his fat pony. He pushed up his visor and toasted us with a flagon of mead.

"Merry—hic—Christmas! Password?"

"Scurvy cur," said Ron.

"And the same to you, sir!" roared Sir Cadogan as the painting swung forward to admit us.

Harry went straight up to the dormitory, collected the Broomstick Servicing Kit Hermione had given him for his birthday, brought it downstairs, and the two of us tried to find something to do to the Firebolts; however, there were no bent twigs to clip, and the handles were so shiny already it seemed pointless to polish them. He, Ron, and I simply sat admiring them from every angle until the portrait hole opened, and Hermione came in, accompanied by Minnie.

Though Professor McGonagall was head of Gryffindor House, I had never seen her in the common room. We stared at her as Hermione walked around us, sat down, picked up the nearest book, and hid her face behind it.

"So those are the brooms?" said Professor McGonagall beadily, walking over to the fireside and staring at the Firebolts. "Miss Granger has just informed me that you two have been sent broomsticks, Potter, Katrina."

Harry, Ron, and I looked around at Hermione. We could see her forehead reddening over the top of her book, which was upside down.

"May I?" said Professor McGonagall, but she didn't wait for an answer before pulling the Firebolts out of our hands. She examined them carefully from handle to twig-ends. "Hmm. And there was no notes at all, no cards? No message of any kind?"

"No," said Harry blankly.

"I see...," said Professor McGonagall. "Well, I'm afraid I will have to take these."

"W—what?" said Harry and I, scrambling to our feet. "Why?"

"They will need to be checked for jinxes," said Professor McGonagall. "Of course, I'm no expert, but I daresay Madam Hooch and Professor Flitwick will strip them down—"

"Strip them down?" repeated Ron, as though Professor McGonagall was mad.

"It shouldn't take more than a few weeks," said Professor McGonagall. "You will have them back if we are sure they are jinx-free."

"There's nothing wrong with them!" said Harry, his voice shaking slightly. "Honestly, Professor—"

"You can't know that, Potter," said Professor McGonagall, quite kindly, "not until you've flown them, at any rate, and I'm afraid that is out of the question until we are certain that they have not been tampered with. I shall keep you informed."

Professor McGonagall turned on her heel and carried the Firebolts out of the portrait hole, which closed behind her. Harry stood staring after her, the tin of High-Finish Polish still clutched in his hands. Ron, however, rounded on Hermione.

"What did you go running to McGonagall for?"

Hermione threw her book aside. She was still pink in the face, but stood up and faced Ron defiantly.

"Because I thought—and Professor McGonagall agrees with me—that that brooms were probably sent to Harry and Katrina by Sirius Black!"


	12. The Patronus

(This chapter is dedicated to NyxTheSnitch for suggesting a great way to describe how Kat feels about her Boggart thanks!)

Katrina's POV

Harry and Ron knew that Hermione had meant well, but that didn't stop them from being angry with her. As far as Ron was concerned, the stripping-down of a brand-new Firebolt was nothing less than criminal damage.

Hermione, who remained convinced that she had acted for the best, started avoiding the common room. I let her spend time in my room or joined her in the library since I wasn't childish enough to let a broom come in between me and one of my best friends!

All in all, we were glad when the rest of the school returned shortly after New Year, and Gryffindor Tower became crowded and noisy again.

Oliver sought Harry and I out on the night before term started.

"Had a good Christmas?" he said, and then, without waiting for an answer, he sat down, lowered his voice, and said, "I've been doing some thinking over Christmas, Harry, Katrina. After the last match, you know. If the dementors come to the next one...I mean...we can't afford you to—well—"

Oliver broke off, looking awkward.

"We're working on it," said Harry quickly. "Professor Lupin said he'd train us to ward off the dementors. We should be starting this week. He said he'd have time after Christmas."

"Ah," said Oliver, his expression clearing. "Well, in that case—I really didn't want to lose you as Seeker, Harry. Nor you as a chaser, Kat. And have you ordered new brooms yet?"

"No," said Harry.

"What! You'd better get a move on, you know—you can't ride those Shooting Stars against Ravenclaw!"

"They got Firebolts for Christmas," said Ron.

"Firebolts? No! Seriously? Real Firebolts?"

"Don't get excited, Oliver," said Harry gloomily. "We haven't got them anymore. They were confiscated." And he explained all about how our Firebolts were now being checked for jinxes.

"Jinxed? How could they be jinxed?"

"Sirius Black," Harry said wearily. "He's supposed to be after me and Kat. So McGonagall reckons he might have sent them."

Waving aside the information that a famous murderer was after his Seeker and chaser, Oliver said, "But Black couldn't have bought Firebolts! He's on the run! The whole country's on the lookout for him! How could he just walk into Quality Quidditch Supplies and buy broomsticks?"

"I know," said Harry, "but McGonagall still wants to strip them down—"

Oliver went pale.

"I'll go and talk to her, Harry," he promised. "I'll make her see reason...Firebolts...real Firebolts, on our team...She wants Gryffindor to win as much as we do...I'll make her see sense. Firebolts..."

Classes started again the next day. The last thing anyone felt like doing was spending two hours on the grounds on a raw January morning, but Hagrid had provided a bonfire full of salamanders for our enjoyment, and we spent an unusually good lesson collecting dry wood and leaves to keep the fire blazing while the flame-loving lizards scampered up and down the crumbling, white-hot logs.

The first Divination lesson of the new term was much less fun; Professor Trelawney was now teaching us palmistry, and she lost no time in informing Harry and I that we had the shortest life lines she had ever seen.

It was Defense Against the Dark Arts that Harry and I were keen to get to; after our conversation with Oliver, we wanted to get started on our anti-dementor lessons as soon as possible.

"Ah yes," said Lupin, when Harry and I reminded him of his promise at the end of class. "Let me see...how about eight o'clock on Thursday evening? The History of Magic classroom should be large enough...I'll have to think carefully about how we're going to do this...We can't bring a real dementor into the castle to practice on..."

"Still looks ill, doesn't he?" said Ron as we walked down the corridor, heading to dinner. "What d'you reckon's the matter with him?"

There was a loud and impatient "tuh" from behind us. It was Hermione, who had been sitting at the feet of a suit of armor, repacking her bag, which was so full of books it wouldn't close. I ran over to help her out and together we got her bag closed.

"And what are you tutting at us for?" said Ron irritably.

"Nothing," said Hermione in a lofty voice, as I helped her put her bag back over her shoulder.

"Yes, you were," said Ron. "I said I wonder what's wrong with Lupin, and you—"

"Well, isn't it obvious?" said Hermione, with a look of maddening superiority. I glanced at her and we shared a knowing look.

"If you don't want to tell us, don't," snapped Ron.

"Fine," said Hermione haughtily, and she marched off. I glanced at Harry apologetically before dashing off after her.

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Hermione and I had just entered the Great Hall for dinner that night when I crashed into someone. I fell to the floor and groaned as I tried to stand back up. A strong arm reached down and hauled me gently back to my feet and brushed me off.

I looked up to see Cedric smiling ruefully down at me.

"Sorry about that, Princess. I just came over to see if you wanted to join my friends and I for dinner. I wanna hear how your Christmas went!" I glanced over at Hermione. I didn't want to just leave her!

"Um, is it okay if my friend Hermione comes with?"

"Of course! The more the merrier!"

As the three of us walked over to sit at the Hufflepuff table, I could feel Harry's and Ron's eyes on us but I didn't give it a second thought. If they wanted to avoid Hermione when she had just been looking out for Harry and I, then they weren't allowed to get upset if we started hanging out with other people!

I sat down next to Cedric and Hermione sat on my other side. I still wasn't feeling very hungry these days but we talked so much that it didn't really matter anyways; though I noticed Cedric looking back at my 3/4 full plate as we left the table that night. (Sorry didn't feel like coming up with a number of different names for Cedric's friends so they're just gonna be anonymous for now until I can come up with something/depending on if they make appearances enough in the following chapters/books)

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At eight o'clock on Thursday evening, Harry and I left for the History of Magic classroom. It was dark and empty when we arrived, but I lit the lamps with a quick wave of my hand when Harry wasn't looking and we had waited only five minutes when Professor Lupin turned up, carrying a large packing case, which he heaved onto Professor Binns' desk.

"What's that?" said Harry and I at the same time; I decided once again not to shout jinx.

"Another boggart," said Lupin, stripping off his cloak. "I've been combing the castle ever since Tuesday, and very luckily, I found this one lurking inside Mr. Filch's filing cabinet. It's the nearest we'll get to a real dementor. The boggart will turn into a dementor when he sees you, so we'll be able to practice on him. I can store him in my office when we're not using him; there's a cupboard under my desk he'll like."

"Okay," said Harry, but I backed up against the wall. I did not want to repeat what had happened the last time I had encountered a boggart!

"But it won't turn into a dementor when it faces me! Only Harry..." I commented, still pressed against the wall.

"Unfortunately I couldn't think of a way around that. So I will only be able to teach you the spell and how to cast it and hopefully that will be enough."

I nodded and slowly peeled myself away from the wall as Lupin motioned me forward. (Lupin knew her when she was a baby so he knows she already knows how to cast a patronus since he taught her how; she just has to relearn the concept etc)

"So...the spell I am going to try and teach you is highly advanced magic, well beyond Ordinary Wizarding Level. It is called the Patronus Charm."

"How does it work?" said Harry nervously.

"Well, when it works correctly, it conjures up a Patronus," said Lupin, "which is a kind of anti-dementor—a guardian that acts as a shield between you and the dementor. The Patronus is a kind of positive force, a projection of the very things that the dementor feeds upon—hope, happiness, the desire to survive—but it cannot feel despair, as real humans can, so the dementors can't hurt it. But I must warn you two that the charm might be too advanced for you. Many qualified wizards have difficulty with it."

"What does a Patronus look like?" I asked curiously.

"Each one is unique to the wizard who conjures it."

"And how do you conjure it?"

"With an incantation, which will work only if you are concentrating, with all your might, on a single, very happy memory."

I cast my mind about for a happy memory. I settled on my first trip to Diagon Alley; where I had first met Harry.

"The incantation is this—" Lupin cleared his throat. "Expecto patronum!"

"Expecto patronum," I repeated under my breath, "expecto patronum."

"Concentrating hard on your happy memory?"

"Oh—yeah—" I quickly forced my thoughts back to that first trip. "Expecto Patronum!"

Something whooshed suddenly out of the end of my wand; it looked like a wisp of silvery gas. (Mini contest/poll: what form should her patronus take? I'm torn on whether it should be a Phoenix cuz I might just have dumbledore give her fawkes at some point so would that be redundant? Let me know what y'all think! Or any other suggestions! Something Lilly/James/harry/snape related? Or more fire/dragon/lion/Phoenix/snake related? I'm leaning towards a snake right now)

"Did you see that?" Harry and I said excitedly. "Something happened!"

"Very good," said Lupin, smiling. "Right, then—ready to try it on a dementor? Kat, dear, maybe you shouldn't be here for this part, considering what happened last time. But I want you to keep practicing the incantation and we can check in to see every so often how your progress is going. Sound good?"

I nodded and left the room. I walked up to Gryffindor Tower in search of Hermione. I passed Fred and George on my way; they appeared to be on their way to commit some new prank on an unsuspecting first year; the poor kid.

I entered the common room and looked around but couldn't see Hermione. I spotted Oliver though and went over to him. He was playing a game of wizards chess with a friend by the fire so I sat down beside him and watched the game progress. In the end he won and his friend went off to bed. I knew that I should probably go find Hermione and get started on the pile of homework we had for all the classes we were taking but just as I was getting up to go, Oliver pulled me back down to play the next round with him; how could I resist! He looked so adorable when he asked me to stay...I knew that I shouldn't even like him like that; especially not when I didn't know how I felt about Cedric let alone, Harry! But I couldn't say no.

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Ravenclaw played Slytherin a week after the start of term. Slytherin won, though narrowly. According to Oliver, this was good news for Gryffindor, who would take second place if they beat Ravenclaw too. He therefore increased the number of team practices to five a week. This meant that with Lupin's anti-dementor classes, which in themselves were more draining than six Quidditch practices, and my numerous classes, I had no free time.

Hermione and I were finally wearing out. Every night, without fail, she was in a corner of the common room, several tables spread with books, Arithmancy charts, rune dictionaries, diagrams of Muggles lifting heavy objects, and file upon file of extensive notes. Every night after quidditch practices I would join her but even with two of us working together, we wouldn't finish until late.

I knew Ron and Harry were confused about how Hermione and I were getting to all of our classes but I didn't have time to worry about that. Especially once Hermione and Cedric finally caught on to the fact that I still didn't have much of an appetite. We joined Cedric and his friends for meals now since Hermione and Ron were still avoiding one another. It hadn't taken Cedric long to figure out that I would just push my food around my plate to make it look like I was eating and the two of them would hound me to eat more. But I just wasn't hungry. Ever since I'd found out about Sirius. (I'm sure the two are unrelated :p)

But at least I got to see Harry at our dementor defense lessons. Since I wasn't able to practice like Harry, Lupin had suggested that I first learn to conquer my fear, but I didn't know where to start. How was I supposed to conquer that!

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"Bad news, Harry, Kat. I've just been to see Professor McGonagall about the Firebolt. She—er—got a bit shirty with me. Told me I'd got my priorities wrong. Seemed to think I cared more about winning the Cup than I do about you two staying alive. Just because I told her I didn't care if it threw Harry off, as long as he caught the Snitch first." Oliver shook his head in disbelief while avoiding my gaze; clearing not liking the idea of me falling off my broom again. "Honestly, the way she was yelling at me...you'd think I'd said something terrible...Then I asked her how much longer she was going to keep it..." He screwed up his face and imitated Minnie's severe voice. "'As long as necessary, Wood'...I reckon it's time you ordered new brooms. There's an order form at the back of Which Broomstick...you could get a Nimbus Two Thousand and One, like Malfoy's got."

"I'm not buying anything Malfoy thinks is good," said Harry flatly. I glared at my friend at his rude comment but chose to let it slide for now.

January faded imperceptibly into February, with no change in the bitterly cold weather. The match against Ravenclaw was drawing nearer and nearer, but neither Harry or I had ordered a new broom.

To make matters even worse, my anti-boggart lessons and Harry's anti-dementor lessons were not going well. My dementor shield was still formless but strong; whereas, Harry could still only produce an indistinct silvery shadow. In reverse, he had no trouble repelling a bogart whereas I continued to flip out each and every time. I couldn't escape my fear of losing control when it came to my strange new powers. The hurt look in my friend's eyes as I stood helplessly by as they burned just wouldn't leave me and I tossed and turned each night. Now that I knew I was related to Sirius Black, I couldn't help but see his face underneath the hood; his hands reaching out for me to join him in the fiery destruction.

It took a while but I finally told Lupin about my powers and how I had lost control of them the previous summer and how I had found out Sirius was my father. I didn't want to turn out just like him! I knew what Lupin was, so I knew if anyone would understand my fear it would be him. We had a long talk and in the following weeks I was finally able to start repelling my boggart.

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"You're expecting too much of yourself," said Professor Lupin sternly to Harry and I in our fourth week of practice. "For a thirteen-year-old witch and wizard even an indistinct Patronus is a huge achievement. You aren't passing out anymore, are you?"

"I thought a Patronus would—charge the dementors down or something," said Harry dispiritedly. "Make them disappear—"

"The true Patronus does do that," said Lupin. "But you've both achieved a great deal in a very short space of time. If the dementors put in an appearance at your next Quidditch match, you will be able to keep them at bay long enough to get back to the ground."

"You said it's harder if there are loads of them," said Harry.

"I have complete confidence in you two," said Lupin, smiling. "Here—you've earned a drink—something from the Three Broomsticks. You won't have tried it before—"

He pulled two bottles out of his briefcase.

"Butterbeer!" said Harry, without thinking. "Yeah, I like that stuff!"

Lupin raised an eyebrow and I used my robes to hide the fact that I stomped on Harry's foot.

"Oh—Ron, Hermione, and Kat brought me some back from Hogsmeade," Harry lied quickly.

"I see," said Lupin, though he still looked slightly suspicious. "Well—let's drink to a Gryffindor victory against Ravenclaw! Not that I'm supposed to take sides, as a teacher...," he added hastily.

We drank the butterbeer in silence, until Harry voiced something we'd both been wondering for a while.

"What's under a dementor's hood?"

Professor Lupin lowered his bottle thoughtfully.

"Hmmm...well, the only people who really know are in no condition to tell us. You see, the dementor lowers its hood only to use its last and worst weapon."

"What's that?"

"They call it the Dementor's Kiss," said Lupin, with a slightly twisted smile. "It's what dementors do to those they wish to destroy utterly. I suppose there must be some kind of mouth under there, because they clamp their jaws upon the mouth of the victim and—and suck out his soul."

I accidentally spat out a bit of butterbeer.

"What—they kill—?"

"Oh no," said Lupin. "Much worse than that. You can exist without your soul, you know, as long as your brain and heart are still working. But you'll have no sense of self anymore, no memory, no...anything. There's no chance at all of recovery. You'll just—exist. As an empty shell. And your soul is gone forever...lost."

Lupin drank a little more butterbeer, then said, "It's the fate that awaits Sirius Black. It was in the Daily Prophet this morning. The Ministry have given the dementors permission to perform it if they find him."

I sat stunned for a moment at the idea of someone; even my own father, having their soul sucked out through their mouth. But then I remembered what he'd done.

"He deserves it," Harry said suddenly.

"You think so?" said Lupin lightly. "Do you really think anyone deserves that?"

"Yes," said Harry defiantly. "For...for some things..."

I hadn't told Lupin that Harry now knew about my father's role in his parents' murder (it wasn't my story to tell not to mention he would have gotten in trouble) so only I understood why Harry was saying what he was saying. Lupin wouldn't be very impressed to hear that Harry had found a way to sneak into Hogsmead! So we finished our butterbeers, thanked Lupin, and left the History of Magic classroom.

I half wished that we hadn't asked what was under a dementor's hood, the answer had been so horrible, and we were so lost in unpleasant thoughts of what it would feel like to have your soul sucked out of you that we walked headlong into Minnie halfway up the stairs.

"Do watch where you're going, Potter! Katrina, dear!"

"Sorry, Professor—"

"I've just been looking for you two in the Gryffindor common room. Well, here they are, we've done everything we could think of, and there doesn't seem to be anything wrong with them at all. You've got a very good friend somewhere..."

Our jaws dropped. She was holding out our Firebolts, and they looked as magnificent as ever.

"We can have them back?" Harry said weakly. "Seriously?"

"Seriously," said Minnie, and she was actually smiling. "I daresay you'll need to get the feel of them before Saturday's match, won't you? And Potter—do try and win, won't you? Or we'll be out of the running for the eighth year in a row, as Professor Snape was kind enough to remind me only last night..."

Speechless, we carried our Firebolts back upstairs toward Gryffindor Tower. As we turned a corner, we saw Ron dashing toward us, grinning from ear to ear.

"She gave them to you? Excellent! Listen, can I still have a go on yours? Tomorrow?"

"Yeah...anything...," said Harry. "You know what—we should make up with Hermione...She was only trying to help..."

"Took you long enough!" I muttered.

"Yeah, all right," said Ron. "She's in the common room now—working, for a change—"

We turned into the corridor to Gryffindor Tower and saw Neville Longbottom, pleading with Sir Cadogan, who seemed to be refusing him entrance.

"I wrote them down!" Neville was saying tearfully. "But I must've dropped them somewhere!"

"A likely tale!" roared Sir Cadogan. Then, spotting Harry, Ron, and I: Good even, my fine young yeomen! My lady! Come clap this loon in irons. He is trying to force entry to the chambers within!"

"Oh, shut up," said Ron as we drew level with Neville.

"I've lost the passwords!" Neville told us miserably. "I made him tell me what passwords he was going to use this week, because he keeps changing them, and now I don't know what I've done with them!"

"Oddsbodikins," said Harry to Sir Cadogan, who looked extremely disappointed and reluctantly swung forward to let us into the common room. There was a sudden, excited murmur as every head turned and the next moment, Harry and I were surrounded by people exclaiming over our Firebolts. I handed mine over to Harry and went to join Hermione and got started on my own homework.

About 15-20 minutes later, Harry was finally free to walk over to us where we sat huddled behind a pile of books.

"We got them back," said Harry, grinning at Hermione and holding up the Firebolts.

"Yes, Kat told me," was all Hermione said.

"See, Hermione? There wasn't anything wrong with them!" said Ron.

"Well—there might have been!" said Hermione. "I mean, at least you know now that it's safe!"

"Yeah, I suppose so," said Harry. "I'd better put mine upstairs—here's yours Kat." He handed me my broom and I set it next to me and went back to translating my ancient runes.

"I'll take it!" said Ron eagerly. "I've got to give Scabbers his rat tonic."

He took Harry's Firebolt and, holding it as if it were made of glass, carried it away up the boys' staircase.

"Can I sit down, then?" Harry asked Hermione and I.

"I suppose so," said Hermione, moving a great stack of parchment off a chair.

Harry looked around at the cluttered table, at the long Arithmancy essay on which the ink was still glistening, at the even longer Muggle Studies essay ("Explain Why Muggles Need Electricity") and at the rune translation Hermione was now poring over with me.

"How are you two getting through all this stuff?" Harry asked us.

"Oh, well—you know—working hard," said Hermione. I rubbed my eyes tiredly and scribbled a few lines of my own Arithmancy essay down before switching to Muggle Studies.

"Why don't you just drop a couple of subjects?" Harry asked.

"We couldn't do that!" said Hermione, looking scandalized.

"Arithmancy looks terrible," said Harry, picking up my very complicated-looking number chart.

"Oh no, it's wonderful!" I said as Hermione nodded earnestly. "It's our favorite subject! It's—"

But at that precise moment, a strangled yell echoed down the boys' staircase. The whole common room fell silent, staring, petrified, at the entrance. Then came hurried footsteps, growing louder and louder—and then Ron came leaping into view, dragging with him a bedsheet.

"LOOK!" he bellowed, striding over to Hermione's table. "LOOK!" he yelled, shaking the sheets in her face.

"Ron, what—?"

"SCABBERS! LOOK! SCABBERS!"

Hermione was leaning away from Ron, looking utterly bewildered. Harry and I looked down at the sheet Ron was holding. There was something red on it. Something that looked horribly like—

"BLOOD!" Ron yelled into the stunned silence. "HE'S GONE! AND YOU KNOW WHAT WAS ON THE FLOOR?"

"N—no," said Hermione in a trembling voice.

Ron threw something down onto Hermione's rune translation. Hermione, Harry, and I leaned forward. Lying on top of the weird, spiky shapes were several long, ginger cat hairs.


	13. Gryffindor v. Ravenclaw

Katrina's POV

It looked like the end of Ron and Hermione's friendship. Each was so angry with the other that Harry and I couldn't see how they'd ever make up.

Ron was enraged that Hermione had never taken Crookshanks's attempts to eat Scabbers seriously, hadn't bothered to keep a close enough watch on him, and was still trying to pretend that Crookshanks was innocent by suggesting that Ron look for Scabbers under all the boys' beds. Hermione, meanwhile, maintained fiercely that Ron had no proof that Crookshanks had eaten Scabbers, that the ginger hairs might have been there since Christmas, and that Ron had been prejudiced against her cat ever since Crookshanks had landed on Ron's head in the Magical Menagerie.

Personally, I was sure that Crookshanks had eaten Scabbers, but was far too busy to feel the need to point this out to Hermione and make her feel any worse than I knew she already felt. It wouldn't end well. Harry, unfortunately, didn't realize this and made the mistake of trying to make her see reason.

"Okay, side with Ron, I knew you would!" she said shrilly. "First the Firebolt, now Scabbers, everything's my fault, isn't it! Just leave me alone, Harry, I've got a lot of work to do!" I shrugged at Harry and went back to my own homework. As I scribbled answers down on the parchment, I struggled to keep my eyes open. A hard elbow to the side jolted me back to reality and I grimaced at Hermione.

"Thanks," I told her as I sat up straighter in my seat and tried to refocus; the words already dancing across the page again.

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Ron had taken the loss of his rat very hard indeed.

In a last-ditch attempt to cheer Ron up, Harry persuaded him to come along to the Gryffindor team's final practice before the Ravenclaw match, so that he could have a ride on his Firebolt after we'd finished. This did seem to take Ron's mind off Scabbers for a moment ("Great! Can I try and shoot a few goals on it?") so the three of us set off for the Quidditch field together.

Madam Hooch, who was still overseeing Gryffindor practices to keep an eye on Harry and I, was just as impressed with our Firebolts as everyone else had been. She took them in her hands before takeoff and gave us the benefit of her professional opinion.

She examined them for so long that Oliver was forced to step in.

"Er—Madam Hooch? Is it okay if Harry and Kat have their Firebolts back? We need to practice..."

"Oh—right—here you are, then," said Madam Hooch. "I'll sit over here with Weasley..."

She and Ron left the field to sit in the stadium, and the Gryffindor team gathered around Oliver for his final instructions for tomorrow's match.

"Harry, I've just found out who Ravenclaw is playing as Seeker. It's Cho Chang. She's a fourth year, and she's pretty good...I really hoped she wouldn't be fit, she's had some problems with injuries..." Oliver scowled his displeasure that Cho Chang had made a full recovery, then said, "On the other hand, she rides a Comet Two Sixty, which is going to look like a joke next to the Firebolt." He gave our brooms a look of fervent admiration, then said, "Okay, everyone, let's go—"

And at long last, Harry and I mounted our Firebolts, and kicked off from the ground.

It was better than I'd ever dreamed. The Firebolt turned with the lightest touch; it seemed to obey my thoughts rather than my grip; it sped across the field at such speed that the stadium turned into a green-and-gray blur; I turned it so sharply that Oliver, Fred, and George screamed, then dashed off towards the opposing goal hoops. We scrimmaged for a while before Oliver released the snitch and sent Harry after it.

Well all watched as Harry turned and raced a Bludger toward the goal posts; he outstripped it easily, saw the Snitch dart out from behind Oliver, and within ten seconds had caught it tightly in his hand.

We all cheered madly. Harry let the Snitch go again, and we continued to scrimmage.

It was the best practice ever; the team, inspired by the presence of the Firebolts in their midst, performed their best moves faultlessly, and by the time we hit the ground again, Oliver didn't have a single criticism to make, which, as George Weasley pointed out, was a first.

"I can't see what's going to stop us tomorrow!" said Wood. "Not unless—Harry, Kat, you've sorted out your dementor problem, haven't you?"

"Yeah," said Harry and I, though I couldn't help thinking about the fact that I had yet to actually try it out like Harry had. What if I couldn't produce one if they showed up!

"The dementors won't turn up again, Oliver. Dumbledore'd go ballistic," said Fred confidently. I shook the negative thoughts away and tried to see the truth in Fred's words.

"Well, let's hope not," said Oliver. "Anyway—good work, everyone. Let's get back to the tower...turn in early—"

"I'm staying out for a bit; Ron wants a go on the Firebolt," Harry told Oliver, and while the rest of the team headed off to the locker rooms, Harry strode over to Ron, who vaulted the barrier to the stands and came to meet him. Madam Hooch had fallen asleep in her seat.

"Here you go," I heard Harry say, handing Ron the Firebolt.

Ron, an expression of ecstasy on his face, mounted the broom and zoomed off into the gathering darkness while Harry walked around the edge of the field, watching him.

I also watched; not having seen Ron fly since first year, until I felt someone tap me on the shoulder. I jumped with a startled scream and turned around as fast as I could to see Cedric standing there. I saw Harry glance over when he heard me scream but when he saw Cedric he quickly turned back around. I squinted at him still not sure why he acted so strangely whenever he saw Cedric. Did the two of them not get along? They seemed friendly enough the few times I had seen them greet one another in passing!

"It's freezing! Here, take my jacket, Princess," Cedric said as he motioned to take his jacket off for me.

"No, you should keep it! Otherwise you'll just get cold as well," I said, shaking my head.

"I'll gladly endure a little cold if it means my princess is warm," Cedric said as he gave a small bow and all but forced the sweater over my shoulders.

I giggled and blushed at his theatrical antics. I ducked my head in embarrassment as he slung an arm around me and started walking me back to my room like usual. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted Harry staring at us but couldn't concentrate on his weird behavior with Cedric's body so close to mine! How in merlin's name was a girl supposed to think clearly while standing so close to someone as handsome! I mean yes, I thought the same about Harry and Oliver, but they just thought of me as a friend; whereas, Cedric, well who knows what he thought at this point, but I couldn't help but think there was more than friendship here. Did it make me completely foolish for thinking so? I mean why would he of all people like me! I was just a lowly third year!

I sighed heavily that night after Hermione and I had finished our homework. I couldn't spend all my time obsessing over boys when I was barely making it through each day! There were far more important things to focus on!

\----------------------------------------------

I went down to breakfast the next morning with Hermione. We got there in time to see Harry arrive followed by an entourage of boys who were in love with his broom. They all seemed to think the Firebolt deserved a sort of guard of honor. Thankfully I had foreseen something like this happening and had decided to leave my broom locked up in the locker room so as to avoid the unwanted attention.

I sat next to Cedric and Hermione; watching as Harry was surrounded by adoring fans, as my two friends tried unsuccessfully to get me to eat some breakfast.

At a quarter to eleven, the Gryffindor team set off for the locker rooms. The weather couldn't have been more different from our match against Hufflepuff. It was a clear, cool day with a very light breeze; there would be no visibility problems this time, and, though nervous, I was starting to feel the excitement only a Quidditch match could bring.

We could hear the rest of the school moving into the stadium beyond. I took off my black school robes, removed my wand from the boot I was wearing (where I liked to stash it) and transferred it to my right quidditch boot where it would be most easily accessible. I only hoped I wouldn't need it. I wondered suddenly whether Professor Lupin was in the crowd, watching.

"You know what we've got to do," said Oliver as we prepared to leave the locker rooms. "If we lose this match, we're out of the running. Just—just fly like you did in practice yesterday, and we'll be okay!"

We walked out onto the field to tumultuous applause. The Ravenclaw team, dressed in blue, were already standing in the middle of the field. Their Seeker, Cho Chang, was the only girl on their team. She was shorter than Harry by about a head, and I couldn't help noticing, nervous as I was, that Harry blushed deep red as she smiled at him. I felt my stomach flip flop as I watched him return the smile hesitantly. The way he was looking at her made it clear as day that he would never feel the same about me as I did him...

Somehow I managed to discern Hermione's and Cedric's voices from the din of the crowd and mentally berated myself for letting the topic of boys distract me yet again.

"Wood, Davies, shake hands," Madam Hooch said briskly, and Oliver shook hands with the Ravenclaw Captain.

"Mount your brooms...on my whistle... three—two—one—"

I kicked off into the air and the Firebolt zoomed higher and faster than any other broom but Harry's; I soared around the stadium and began squinting around for the quaffle, listening all the while to the commentary, which was being provided by the Weasley twins' friend Lee Jordan.

"They're off, and the big excitement this match is the Firebolts that Harry Potter and Katrina are flying for Gryffindor. According to Which Broomstick, the Firebolt's going to be the broom of choice for the national teams at this year's World Championship—"

"Jordan, would you mind telling us what's going on in the match?" interrupted Minnie's voice. I couldn't help laughing.

"Right you are, Professor—just giving a bit of background information—the Firebolt, incidentally, has a built-in auto-brake and—"

"Jordan!"

"Okay, okay, Gryffindor in possession, Katrina of Gryffindor heading for goal..."

I streaked past the Ravenclaw Chasers and made my way towards the goal posts, dodging a Bludger that had been aimed in my direction. 

"Show then your acceleration, Kat!" Fred yelled as he whooshed past in pursuit of the Bludger.

I urged the Firebolt forward as I rounded the Ravenclaw goal posts and the Chasers fell behind. Just as I succeeded in scoring the first goal of the match, and the Gryffindor end of the field went wild, I saw Harry dive for the Snitch that was close to the ground, flitting near one of the barriers.

I watched breathlessly but groaned as a Bludger sent by The Ravenclaw Beaters caused Harry to veer off course.

There was a great "Ooooooh" of disappointment from the Gryffindor supporters, but much applause for their Beater from the Ravenclaw end. George Weasley vented his feelings by hitting the second Bludger directly at the offending Beater, who was forced to roll right over in midair to avoid it.

"Gryffindor leads by eighty points to zero, and look at those Firebolts go! Potter and Katrina are really putting them through their paces now, see it turn—Chang's Comet is just no match for it, the Firebolt's precision-balance is really noticeable in these long—"

"JORDAN! ARE YOU BEING PAID TO ADVERTISE FIREBOLTS? GET ON WITH THE COMMENTARY!"

Ravenclaw was pulling back; they had now scored three goals, which put Gryffindor only fifty points ahead—if Cho got the Snitch before Harry, Ravenclaw would win. I zoomed back and forth looking desperately for any chance to score.

"HARRY, THIS IS NO TIME TO BE A GENTLEMAN!" I heard Oliver roar as Harry swerved to avoid a collision. "KNOCK HER OFF HER BROOM IF YOU HAVE TO!"

I shook my head at Harry's reaction to Cho and tried to focus on the Quaffle.

"Oh!" I heard several people scream right as I was about to score again.

Distracted, I looked down.

Three dementors, three tall, black, hooded dementors, were looking up at me.

I didn't stop to think. Plunging a hand down to my boot, I whipped out my wand and roared, "Expecto patronum!"

Something silver-white erupted from the end of my wand. I knew it had shot directly at the dementors but didn't pause to watch; my mind still miraculously clear, I looked ahead—and scored one last goal right as I heard the whistle blow signaling the end of the game. I looked around knowing that meant someone had caught the Snitch.

I turned around in midair and saw six scarlet blurs bearing down on Harry and I; next moment, the whole team was hugging us so hard I was nearly pulled off my broom. Down below I could hear the roars of the Gryffindors in the crowd.

"That's my boy! That's my girl!" Oliver kept yelling. Fred had Harry in a grip so tight it looked as though his head would come off. In complete disarray, we managed to make our way back to the ground. I got off my broom and looked up to see a gaggle of Gryffindor supporters sprinting onto the field, Ron, and Cedric in the lead. I couldn't see Hermione anywhere and assumed she must have headed back to the common room. I was distracted by the many arms that pulled me into tight hugs.

That is; until a pair of particular red and gold clad arms lifted me up and the next thing I knew, Oliver Wood had me in his arms and was kissing me! My eyes widened as I felt myself get swept away in the moment and feel of his lips as they pressed against mine. I couldn't believe I was having my first kiss! I was so caught up that I even forgot that there was a crowd of people watching us.

Loud coughing drew my attention as strong arms yanked Oliver away from me. I looked around in confusion as I watched Fred and George angrily dragging Oliver towards the locker room shouting at him the whole way. As my eyes continued to take in the scene, I realized it had been Harry and Cedric who had cleared their throats. A lump formed in my own throat as my eyes went from green to hazel; acknowledging the stunned expressions that mirrored my own.

I blinked still dazed, as Cedric huffed angrily and stormed off the field. I glanced at Harry but he had been pulled in by Professor Lupin; who was telling him that the dementors we had thought we saw were really Draco and his cronies, but I didn't care about that right now.

I didn't even have time to comprehend the fact that Oliver had just kissed me! All I saw was the hurt look on Cedric's face. I waved my wand and transported my broom back to my room. Another wave of my wand and my normal clothes were back. That done, I dashed off after Cedric as fast as I could.

I followed the sound of his footsteps into the castle and up three flights of stairs before I finally spotted him.

"Cedric! Wait, please!" I called out to him as I struggled to catch my breath. I wasn't sure if he heard me or was choosing to ignore me but he didn't stop either way and I was forced to continue to tail him up more flights of stairs. With each step I took, the energy was draining from my body until I was stumbling like a drunkard. I cried out each time I banged my shins but I was too focused on catching up to Cedric that I didn't care.

But as I reached the top of the next staircase and gasped out for him to stop again, I felt the last of my energy leave my body and I collapsed as my world went black.

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Harry's POV

"Come on, Harry!" said George, fighting his way over to me after he and Fred had finished shouting at Oliver. I still couldn't believe he had kissed Kat! I mashed my teeth together and clenched my hands into fists as I thought about what had just happened.

"Party! Gryffindor common room, now!"

"Right," I said, momentarily putting Kat out of my head and focusing on feeling happier than I had in ages.

It felt as though we had already won the Quidditch Cup; the party went on all day and well into the night. Fred and George Weasley disappeared for a couple of hours and returned with armfuls of bottles of butterbeer, pumpkin fizz, and several bags full of Honeydukes sweets.

"How did you do that?" squealed Angelina Johnson as George started throwing Peppermint Toads into the crowd.

"With a little help from Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs," Fred muttered in my ear.

Only two people weren't joining in the festivities. Kat and Hermione. Kat hadn't been seen since she'd dashed off after Cedric and to be frank, I didn't care at the moment where she was or what she was doing. If I had to guess, she was probably kissing up to that sorry excuse for a Seeker; figuratively and for all I knew, literally.

Hermione on the other hand, incredibly, was sitting in a corner, attempting to read an enormous book entitled Home Life and Social Habits of British Muggles. I broke away from the table where Fred and George had started juggling butterbeer bottles and went over to her.

"Did you even come to the match?" I asked her.

"Of course I did," said Hermione in a strangely high-pitched voice, not looking up. "And I'm very glad we won, and I think you did really well, but I need to read this by Monday."

"Come on, Hermione, come and have some food," I said, looking over at Ron and wondering whether he was in a good enough mood to bury the hatchet.

"I can't, Harry. I've still got four hundred and twenty-two pages to read!" said Hermione, now sounding slightly hysterical. "Anyway..." She glanced over at Ron too. "He doesn't want me to join in."

There was no arguing with this, as Ron chose that moment to say loudly, "If Scabbers hadn't just been eaten, he could have had some of those Fudge Flies. He used to really like them—"

Hermione burst into tears. Before I could say or do anything, she tucked the enormous book under her arm, and, still sobbing, ran toward the staircase to the girls' dormitories and out of sight.

"Can't you give her a break?" I asked Ron quietly.

"No," said Ron flatly. "If she just acted like she was sorry—but she'll never admit she's wrong, Hermione. She's still acting like Scabbers has gone on vacation or something."

The Gryffindor party ended only when Professor McGonagall turned up in her tartan dressing gown and hair net at one in the morning, to insist that we all go to bed. Ron and I climbed the stairs to our dormitory, still discussing the match. At last, exhausted, I climbed into bed, twitched the hangings of my four-poster shut to block out a ray of moonlight, lay back, and felt myself almost instantly drifting off to sleep...

I had a very strange dream. I was watching again as Oliver kissed my Kat, and then the scene switched and Oliver was replaced by Cedric, and then it was Dean, Seamus, Malfoy, Ron, Fred, George, everyone but me...then finally, I was the one standing in front of Kat as she looked up out of those beautiful blue eyes of hers and leaned into me. Our lips were inches apart, about to touch when -

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGHHHHH! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

I woke as suddenly as though I'd been hit in the face. Disoriented in the total darkness, I fumbled with my hangings—I could hear movements around me, and Seamus Finnigan's voice from the other side of the room: "What's going on?"

I thought I heard the dormitory door slam. At last finding the divide in my curtains, I ripped them back, and at the same moment, Dean Thomas lit his lamp.

Ron was sitting up in bed, the hangings torn from one side, a look of utmost terror on his face.

"Black! Sirius Black! With a knife!"

"What?"

"Here! Just now! Slashed the curtains! Woke me up!"

"You sure you weren't dreaming, Ron?" said Dean.

"Look at the curtains! I tell you, he was here!"

We all scrambled out of bed; I reached the dormitory door first, and we sprinted back down the staircase. Doors opened behind us, and sleepy voices called after them.

"Who shouted?"

"What're you doing?"

The common room was lit with the glow of the dying fire, still littered with the debris from the party. It was deserted.

"Are you sure you weren't dreaming, Ron?"

"I'm telling you, I saw him!

"What's all the noise?"

"Professor McGonagall told us to go to bed!"

A few of the girls had come down their staircase, pulling on dressing gowns and yawning. Boys, too, were reappearing.

"Excellent, are we carrying on?" said Fred Weasley brightly.

"Everyone back upstairs!" said Percy, hurrying into the common room and pinning his Head Boy badge to his pajamas as he spoke.

"Perce—Sirius Black!" said Ron faintly. "In our dormitory! With a knife! Woke me up!"

The common room went very still.

"Nonsense!" said Percy, looking startled. "You had too much to eat, Ron—had a nightmare—"

"I'm telling you—"

"Now, really, enough's enough!"

Professor McGonagall was back. She slammed the portrait behind her as she entered the common room and stared furiously around.

"I am delighted that Gryffindor won the match, but this is getting ridiculous! Percy, I expected better of you!"

"I certainly didn't authorize this, Professor!" said Percy, puffing himself up indignantly. "I was just telling them all to get back to bed! My brother Ron here had a nightmare—"

"IT WASN'T A NIGHTMARE!" Ron yelled. "PROFESSOR, I WOKE UP, AND SIRIUS BLACK WAS STANDING OVER ME, HOLDING A KNIFE!

Professor McGonagall stared at him.

"Don't be ridiculous, Weasley, how could he possibly have gotten through the portrait hole?"

"Ask him!" said Ron, pointing a shaking finger at the back of Sir Cadogan's picture. "Ask him if he saw—"

Glaring suspiciously at Ron, Professor McGonagall pushed the portrait back open and went outside. The whole common room listened with bated breath.

"Sir Cadogan, did you just let a man enter Gryffindor Tower?"

"Certainly, good lady!" cried Sir Cadogan.

There was a stunned silence, both inside and outside the common room.

"You—you did?" said Professor McGonagall. "But—but the password!"

"He had 'em!" said Sir Cadogan proudly. "Had the whole week's, my lady! Read 'em off a little piece of paper! Then he asked if I knew where he might find Katrina; I told him she was in the hospital; the poor girl!

Professor McGonagall pulled herself back through the portrait hole to face the stunned crowd. She was white as chalk.

"Which person," she said, her voice shaking, "which abysmally foolish person wrote down this week's passwords and left them lying around?"

There was utter silence, broken by the smallest of terrified squeaks. Neville Longbottom, trembling from head to fluffy-slippered toes, raised his hand slowly into the air.

My mind raced as Sir Cadogan's last words rang in my head. Why was Kat in the hospital! What had happened! Had Sirius gotten to her! But from the way it sounded, she'd been in the hospital before Sirius arrived, so then what else could have happened!

(AN: OMG Kat finally had her first kiss! Comment what you thought of my little plot twist! Did I manage to surprise you? Hehehe)


	14. Snape's Grudge

Sirius Black's POV

(As I mentioned, Sirius knows he's not Kat's biological father but since he raised her with Eliana until he got sent to Azkaban, he considers her his daughter - from now on if I refer to Kat's father I mean Sirius; if I'm talking about Riddle I'll write father hope that's clear enough of a distinction for everyone!)

I stared down at my beautiful little girl as she lay pale and lifeless on the hospital cot. I had rushed over when I heard someone mention that she'd collapsed in the hall; fearing the worst. I had to get to Peter before he hurt my baby! I refused to let him destroy the last of my family or my godson!

I glanced over to see my girl's hand was being held by some sixth year boy who was fast asleep next to her. Who was he? She wasn't old enough for a boyfriend yet! I shook my head to clear my thoughts. I had to deal with Peter first before I could ever hope to get my daughter back; assuming she'd ever want me in her life after everything that had happened. Either way, I needed to protect her and Harry.

I reached into my tattered prison robes and pulled out the picture that I fell asleep to every night. I stared down at the giggling baby as I chased her around the room until she was picked up by my wife who cradled her in her arms. I sighed and touched the picture version of my wife before placing the picture on the bedside table next to Kat. She deserved to have at least one picture of the three of us all together; happy and smiling - before everything went wrong.

Katrina's POV

I blinked slowly as I opened my eyes. I motioned to bring my hand to my head when I realized that it was attached to something. I looked over to see Cedric looking at me blearily as he too woke up at my movement.

"Cedric? What's going on? Where am I?" I asked, still confused.

He sat up straighter and brought his chair closer to me, still holding my hand in his.

"You collapsed, princess. You haven't eaten in days and what with all the long sleepless nights you and Hermione have been pulling, the quidditch practices, and running up the stairs after me, you wore your body out! Why didn't you just stay on the field! Why did you have to come after me!"

I sat up slowly and looked into Cedric's hazel eyes. I spotted flecks of gold here and there; they were beautiful and I knew I could get lost in them. "You, you looked upset and I don't want you angry with me! Everything happened so fast and I..." I dropped off as I struggled to find the words to express my feelings.

"I could never be mad at you, princess! I'm just...Oliver should never have taken advantage of you like that! He should know better! He -" Cedric broke off as I tilted my head to look at him in surprise. I'd never heard him talk in that tone of voice before.

"It doesn't matter, anyways, you need to eat, princess! I will not take no for an answer. I am going to sit here and watch you eat this entire plate of food!" He motioned to a plate on my bedside table that had been piled high with food. I shook my head, still not feeling hungry.

Cedric grabbed the plate and speared a slice of pancake onto the fork and held it up to my mouth. As he picked up the plate, I noticed a piece of paper had been placed on the table as well. I opened my mouth to point this out to Cedric, only to find it filled with pancake.

"Mfffmmmghh" was all that came out as I tried to swallow as fast as I could. When I finished, I glared at Cedric; who had a twinkling gleam of mischief in his eyes, and leaned over to pick up the note.

It wasn't a note though, it was a picture. I stared down at the little girl as she ran around the living room being chased by an older man who looked like the man I'd seen standing next to Harry's father as best man at his Parent's wedding. I continued to watch as the baby me ran around and was picked up by a woman with blond hair. I felt my eyes water as I noticed the Phoenix necklace that dangled from her graceful neck.

This was my mom! Which meant that the man had to be none other than Sirius Black; my father. Tears spilled down my cheeks as I looked at the three of us in the picture. We looked so happy and carefree. (Ok just to clarify and make things easier to comprehend - she lived with the Potters, Sirius, and Eliana in Godric's Hollow until the night Voldemort came to kill them. Then Dumbledore took her in and she lived at Hogwarts in the same room she now stays in until she was 5 and found out Riddle was her father then she was put in the orphanage near Harry so that Dumbledore could keep an eye on the both of them)

"Princess! What's the matter? Why are you crying!" Cedric pulled me out of bed and onto his lap as I continued to sob. The weight of the last few months finally crashing down.

"M-my p-parents! It's my p-parents and me! Oh Ced! He looks so innocent but he's a horrible man! H-how could he do what he did?"

"What are you talking about, little one?"

"My-my father...he's a bad man, a horrible man!"

"Oh, I'm sure that's not true, princess! Everyone makes mistakes, whatever he did I'm sure it wasn't as bad as it may seem." Cedric wiped my tears away and pushed my hair back behind my ears but I couldn't stand to look at him for too long before I buried my head in his shoulder and started balling my eyes out again.

"Y-you d-don't understand!" I wailed. "It's Sirius Black, Sirius Black is my father! I f-found out last Hogsmead trip, I-I don't think I was supposed to find out...what am I supposed to do? I don't want to turn out to be anything like him! But how can I avoid it when being evil is in my blood?"

Cedric was silent for a long moment as he took in what I'd just told him. Then he wrapped his arms around me even tighter and whispered into my ear.

"You're nothing like your father, little one! You are the sweetest and kindest person I have ever met." I shook my head again.

"I mean that! You are always there to help anyone no matter what! There's no way you will ever turn out like Sirius Black! You're too strong, whatever evil may or may not be inside you, it will never win!"

Eventually Cedric managed to calm me down enough to get me eating again. I finished the plate of food and picked up the picture again, a new thought suddenly coming to me.

"Hey Ced, who left the picture here? It certainly isn't mine!"

We looked at each other before Cedric suddenly stood up and dashed out of the room. When he came back he looked flustered.

"I just told Professor McGonagall and she informed me that Sirius Black was in the castle last night!" He told me about what had happened to Ron and I sat up straight, fear running through my veins. Was it possible my father had been standing right next to me last night and left me the picture? I shuddered and Cedric pulled me close again.

"Don't worry, princess, I won't let him hurt you!"

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Harry's POV

No one in Gryffindor Tower slept that night. We knew that the castle was being searched again, and the whole House stayed awake in the common room, waiting to hear whether Black had been caught. Professor McGonagall came back at dawn, to tell us that he had again escaped.

I pulled her aside afterwards and asked her what had happened to Kat. My eyes widened in fear as she told me that Black had apparently gone to see her in the Hospital wing; she'd collapsed after the quidditch game from lack of food and sleep. I mentally smacked my forehead as I realized why Kat hadn't been eating lately. As her best friend, I should have been paying more attention! I guess I should be glad that Cedric was there making sure she was safe; but that didn't mean I suddenly liked the guy...

Katrina's POV

Madam Pomfrey agreed to release me under the condition that I eat three full meals for the next week. Cedric promised her that he would make sure that I did and I groaned as I saw the determined look in his eyes. I still wasn't feeling very hungry but I knew there was no way Cedric was going to let me get away with pushing my food around my plate anymore...

Throughout the day, everywhere we went we saw signs of tighter security; Professor Flitwick could be seen teaching the front doors to recognize a large picture of Sirius Black; Filch was suddenly bustling up and down the corridors, boarding up everything from tiny cracks in the walls to mouse holes. Sir Cadogan had been fired. His portrait had been taken back to its lonely landing on the seventh floor, and the Fat Lady was back. She had been expertly restored, but was still extremely nervous, and had agreed to return to her job only on condition that she was given extra protection. A bunch of surly security trolls had been hired to guard her. They paced the corridor in a menacing group, talking in grunts and comparing the size of their clubs.

Harry and I couldn't help noticing that the statue of the one-eyed witch on the third floor remained unguarded and unblocked. It seemed that Fred and George had been right in thinking that they—and now Harry, Ron, Hermione and I, were the only ones who knew about the hidden passageway within it.

"D'you reckon we should tell someone?" Harry asked Ron and I.

"We know he's not coming in through Honeyduke's," said Ron dismissively "We'd've heard if the shop had been broken into."

I knew Harry was glad he agreed with him because he was looking forward to the next Hogsmead trip. I, on the other hand, was more concerned with my homework and avoiding thoughts of my father to care much about Harry sneaking off to Hogsmead again when we both knew he shouldn't.

Ron had become an instant celebrity. For the first time in his life, people were paying more attention to him than to Harry, and it was clear that Ron was rather enjoying the experience. Though still severely shaken by the night's events, he was happy to tell anyone who asked what had happened, with a wealth of detail.

Hermione and I were obviously torn up about the whole event; worried that Ron could have been seriously hurt, but he still wasn't talking to us so we spent our time in Hagrids hut with Drake and Buckbeak, trying to find a way for him to make a solid case.

I loved watching Drake interact with Buckbeak. The two of them were so cute together! Buckbeak would walk around Hagrid's pumpkin patch with Drake riding on his back and they would fall asleep at night curled up next to each other. Thy were the best of friends.

Harry's POV

The school owls swooped into the Great Hall carrying the mail as usual, and I saw Neville choke as a huge barn owl landed in front of him, a scarlet envelope clutched in its beak. Ron and I, who were sitting opposite him, recognized the letter as a Howler at once—Ron had got one from his mother the year before.

"Run for it, Neville," Ron advised.

Neville didn't need telling twice. He seized the envelope, and holding it before him like a bomb, sprinted out of the hall, while the Slytherin table exploded with laughter at the sight of him. We heard the Howler go off in the entrance hall—Neville's grandmother's voice, magically magnified to a hundred times its usual volume, shrieking about how he had brought shame on the whole family.

I was too busy feeling sorry for Neville to notice immediately that I had a letter too. Hedwig got my attention by nipping me sharply on the wrist.

"Ouch! Oh—thanks, Hedwig."

I tore open the envelope while Hedwig helped herself to some of Neville's cornflakes. The note inside said:

Dear Harry and Ron,

How about having tea with me this afternoon 'round six?

I'll come and collect you from the castle.

WAIT FOR ME IN THE ENTRANCE HALL;

YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED OUT ON YOUR OWN.

Cheers,

Hagrid

"He probably wants to hear all about Black!" said Ron.

So at six o'clock that afternoon, Ron and I left Gryffindor Tower, passed the security trolls at a run, and headed down to the entrance hall.

Hagrid was already waiting for us.

"All right, Hagrid!" said Ron. "S'pose you want to hear about Saturday night, do you?"

"I've already heard all abou' it," said Hagrid, opening the front doors and leading us outside.

"Oh," said Ron, looking slightly put out.

The first thing we saw on entering Hagrid's cabin was Buckbeak, who was stretched out on top of Hagrid's patchwork quilt, his enormous wings folded tight to his body, enjoying a large plate of dead ferrets. Averting my eyes from this unpleasant sight, I saw a gigantic, hairy brown suit and a very horrible yellow-and-orange tie hanging from the top of Hagrid's wardrobe door.

"What are they for, Hagrid?" I asked as Drake came flying over to land on my shoulder. He was a dark blue at the moment. I stroked his head as I looked at Hagrid.

"Buckbeak's case against the Committee fer the Disposal o' Dangerous Creatures," said Hagrid. "This Friday. Him an' me'll be goin' down ter London together. I've booked two beds on the Knight Bus..."

I felt a nasty pang of guilt as I continued to stroke Drake. I had completely forgotten that Buckbeak's trial was so near, and judging by the uneasy look on Ron's face, he had too. We had also forgotten our promise about helping him prepare Buckbeak's defense; the arrival of the Firebolts had driven it clean out of our minds.

Hagrid poured us tea and offered us a plate of Bath buns, but we knew better than to accept; we had had too much experience with Hagrid's cooking.

"I got somethin' ter discuss with you two," said Hagrid, sitting himself between us and looking uncharacteristically serious.

"What?" I said.

"Hermione and Kat," said Hagrid.

"What about them?" said Ron.

"They're in a righ' state, that's what. Bin comin' down ter visit me a lot since Chris'mas. Bin feelin' lonely. Firs' yeh weren' talking to Hermione because o' the Firebolt, now yer not talkin' to her because her cat—"

"—ate Scabbers!" Ron interjected angrily.

"Because her cat acted like all cats do," Hagrid continued doggedly. "They've cried a fair few times, yeh know. Goin' through a rough time at the moment. Bitten off more'n they can chew, if yeh ask me, all the work they're tryin' ter do. Still found time ter help me with Buckbeak's case, mind...

They've found some really good stuff fer me...reckon he'll stand a good chance now..."

"Hagrid, we should've helped as well—sorry—" I began awkwardly. I stroked Drake as I felt a sinking feeling in my stomach over his words about Kat. I knew it wasn't the homework that had her so upset but Hagrid didn't know she'd heard about Sirius's relation to her.

"I'm not blamin' yeh!" said Hagrid, waving my apology aside. "Gawd knows yeh've had enough ter be gettin' on with. I've seen yeh practicin' Quidditch ev'ry hour o' the day an' night—I told Kat she needn't have bothered but you know her-but I gotta tell yeh, I thought you two'd value yer friends more'n broomsticks or rats. Tha's all."

Ron and I exchanged uncomfortable looks.

"Really upset, they were, when Black nearly stabbed yeh, Ron. Hearts in the right place, an' you two not talkin' to em-"

"If she'd just get rid of that cat, I'd speak to her again!" Ron said angrily. "But she's still sticking up for it! It's a maniac, and she won't hear a word against it!"

"Ah, well, people can be a bit stupid abou' their pets," said Hagrid wisely. Behind him, Buckbeak spat a few ferret bones onto Hagrid's pillow. Drake flew off my shoulder and landed next to the Hippogriff. They nudged shoulders and Buckbeak let Drake clamber onto his back; where he fell asleep immediately.

We spent the rest of our visit discussing Gryffindor's improved chances for the Quidditch Cup. At nine o'clock, Hagrid walked us back up to the castle.

A large group of people were bunched around the bulletin board when we returned to the common room.

"Hogsmeade, next weekend!" said Ron, craning over the heads to read the new notice. "What d'you reckon?" he added quietly to me as we went to sit down.

"Well, Filch hasn't done anything about the passage into Honeydukes..." I said, even more quietly.

"Harry!" said a voice in my right ear. I started and looked around at Hermione and Kat who were sitting at the table right behind us and clearing a space in the wall of books that had been hiding them.

"Harry, if you go into Hogsmeade again...I'll tell Professor McGonagall about that map!" said Hermione. I saw Kat look from her to me in surprise but she kept her mouth shut not knowing who's side to support.

"Can you hear someone talking, Harry?" growled Ron, not looking at Hermione.

"Ron, how can you let him go with you? After what Sirius Black nearly did to you! I mean it, I'll tell—"

"So now you're trying to get Harry expelled!" said Ron furiously. "Haven't you done enough damage this year?"

Hermione opened her mouth to respond, but with a soft hiss, Crookshanks leapt onto her lap. Hermione took one frightened look at the expression on Ron's face, gathered up Crookshanks, and hurried away toward the girls' dormitories. Kat sighed and moved to follow but I reached my arm out to stop her.

"Kat, I - is everything ok? I heard you were in the hospital. If you need to talk - you know I'm always here for you, right?"

Kat walked over to me and paused for a second. I shifted uncomfortably not knowing what to do. I'd been so distant with her lately I wouldn't blame her if she never wanted to talk to me again. But the next thing I knew, her arms were around me.

"I know, Harry. The same goes for you, you know that. I'm just - just having a little trouble comprehending that I come from someone as evil as Sirius and there's all my classes, but that's life. It'll sort itself out in the end; I hope. Look I really should get after Hermione. I'll try and convince her not to go to Professor McGonagall, but Harry, she is right. I won't tell you not to, but it really wouldn't be wise for you to go into Hogsmead! I don't know what I'd do if anything happened to you!"

I hugged her tightly and pushed a stray strand of hair behind her ear before kissing her cheek. I grinned as she blushed and dashed up the stairs after Hermione. She was absolutely adorable when she blushed! But I couldn't think of her like that! Especially not if something was going on with her and Cedric!

"So how about it?" Ron said to me as though there had been no interruption. "Come on, last time we went you didn't see anything. You haven't even been inside Zonko's yet!"

I looked around to check that Hermione and Kat were well out of earshot.

"Okay," I said. "But I'm taking the Invisibility Cloak this time."

On Saturday morning, I packed my Invisibility Cloak in my bag, slipped the Marauder's Map into my pocket, and went down to breakfast with everyone else. Hermione and Kat kept shooting suspicious looks at me from the Hufflepuff table where they sat with Cedric, but I avoided their eyes and was careful to let them see me walking back up the marble staircase in the entrance hall as everybody else proceeded to the front doors. I hated seeing Kat sitting there but was glad to see that Cedric was managing to get Kat to eat more at the very least.

"'Bye!" I called to Ron. "See you when you get back!"

Ron grinned and winked.

\----------------------------------------------

Back into Honeydukes, back down the cellar steps, across the stone floor, through the trapdoor—I pulled off the cloak, tucked it under my arm, and ran, flat out, along the passage...Malfoy would get back first...how long would it take him to find a teacher? Panting, a sharp pain in my side, I didn't slow down until I reached the stone slide.

I would have to leave the cloak where it was, it was too much of a giveaway in case Malfoy had tipped off a teacher—I hid it in a shadowy corner, then started to climb, fast as I could, my sweaty hands slipping on the sides of the chute. I reached the inside of the witch's hump, tapped it with my wand, stuck my head through, and hoisted myself out; the hump closed, and just as I jumped out from behind the statue, I heard quick footsteps approaching.

It was Snape. He approached me at a swift walk, his black robes swishing, then stopped in front of him.

"So," he said.

There was a look of suppressed triumph about him. I tried to look innocent, all too aware of my sweaty face and muddy hands, which I quickly hid in my pockets.

"Come with me, Potter," said Snape.

\----------------------------------------------

"I—gave—Harry—that—stuff," Ron choked out as he ran into Snape's office. Bought—it...in Zonko's...ages—ago..."

"Well!" said Lupin, clapping his hands together and looking around cheerfully. "That seems to clear that up! Severus, I'll take this back, shall I?" He folded the map and tucked it inside his robes. "Harry, Ron, come with me, I need a word about my vampire essay—excuse us, Severus—"

I didn't dare look at Snape as we left his office. Ron, Lupin, and I walked all the way back into the entrance hall before speaking. Then I turned to Lupin.

"Professor, I—"

"I don't want to hear explanations," said Lupin shortly. He glanced around the empty entrance hall and lowered his voice. "I happen to know that this map was confiscated by Mr. Filch many years ago. Yes, I know it's a map," he said as Ron and I looked amazed. "I don't want to know how it fell into your possession. I am, however, astounded that you didn't hand it in. Particularly after what happened the last time a student left information about the castle lying around. And I can't let you have it back, Harry."

I had expected that, and was too keen for explanations to protest.

"Why did Snape think I'd got it from the manufacturers?"

"Because...," Lupin hesitated, "because these mapmakers would have wanted to lure you out of school. They'd think it extremely entertaining."

"Do you know them?" I said, impressed.

"We've met," he said shortly. He was looking at me more seriously than ever before.

"Don't expect me to cover up for you again, Harry. I cannot make you take Sirius Black seriously. But I would have thought that what you have heard when the dementors draw near you would have had more of an effect on you. Your parents gave their lives to keep you alive, Harry. A poor way to repay them—gambling their sacrifice for a bag of magic tricks. Not to mention, you risk endangering Katrina's life as well!"

He walked away, leaving me feeling worse by far than I had at any point in Snape's office. Slowly, Ron and I mounted the marble staircase. As I passed the one-eyed witch, I remembered the Invisibility Cloak—it was still down there, but I didn't dare go and get it.

"It's my fault," said Ron abruptly. "I persuaded you to go. Lupin's right, it was stupid, we shouldn't've done it—"

He broke off; we reached the corridor where the security trolls were pacing, and Hermione and Kat were walking toward us. One look at their faces convinced us that they had heard what had happened. My heart plummeted—had they told Professor McGonagall?

"Come to have a good gloat?" said Ron savagely as they stopped in front of us. "Or have you just been to tell on us?"

"No," said Hermione. She was holding a letter in her hands and her lip was trembling. "I just thought you ought to know...Hagrid lost his case. Buckbeak is going to be executed."


	15. The Quidditch Final

Katrina's POV

He—he sent me this," Hermione said, holding out the letter to Harry, who took it and read it as Ron looked over his shoulder.

Dear Hermione and Katrina,

We lost. I'm allowed to bring him back to Hogwarts.

Execution date to be fixed.

Beaky has enjoyed London.

I won't forget all the help you gave us.

Hagrid

"They can't do this," said Harry. "They can't. Buckbeak isn't dangerous."

"Draco's dad's frightened the Committee into it," I said, wiping my eyes. "You know what he's like. They're a bunch of doddery old fools, and they were scared. There'll be an appeal, though, there always is. Only we can't see any hope...Nothing will have changed." Hermione and I shared downtrodden looks.

"Yeah, it will," said Ron fiercely. "You won't have to do all the work alone this time. I'll help."

"Oh, Ron!"

Hermione flung her arms around Ron's neck and broke down completely. Ron, looking quite terrified, patted her very awkwardly on the top of the head. Finally, Hermione drew away.

"Ron, I'm really, really sorry about Scabbers...," she sobbed.

"Oh—well—he was old," said Ron, looking thoroughly relieved that she had let go of him. "And he was a bit useless. You never know, Mum and Dad might get me an owl now."

The safety measures imposed on the students since Black's second break-in made it impossible for Harry, Ron, Hermione, and I to go and visit Hagrid in the evenings. Our only chance of talking to him was during Care of Magical Creatures lessons.

He seemed numb with shock at the verdict.

"S'all my fault. Got all tongue-tied. They was all sittin' there in black robes an' I kep' droppin' me notes and forgettin' all them dates yeh looked up fer me, Hermione, Katrina. An' then Lucius Malfoy stood up an' said his bit, and the Committee jus' did exac'ly what he told 'em..."

"There's still the appeal!" said Ron fiercely. "Don't give up yet, we're working on it!"

We were walking back up to the castle with the rest of the class. Ahead we could see Draco, who was walking with Crabbe and Goyle, and kept looking back, laughing derisively. I glared at my blond-haired friend. Maybe it was because we hadn't hung out in a while but he had been acting like a real jerk lately. I was starting to wonder why I was ever friends with him...

"S'no good, Ron," said Hagrid sadly as we reached the castle steps. "That Committee's in Lucius Malfoy's pocket. I'm jus' gonna make sure the rest o' Beaky's time is the happiest he's ever had. I owe him that...Drake is good company for him at least."

Hagrid turned around and hurried back toward his cabin, his face buried in his handkerchief.

"Look at him blubber!"

Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle had been standing just inside the castle doors, listening.

"Have you ever seen anything quite as pathetic?" said Draco. "And he's supposed to be our teacher!"

Harry and Ron both made furious moves toward Malfoy, but Hermione got there first—SMACK!

She had slapped Draco across the face with all the strength she could muster. Draco staggered. Harry, Ron, Crabbe, and Goyle stood flabbergasted as Hermione raised her hand again.

"Don't you dare call Hagrid pathetic, you foul—you evil—"

"No Hermione, let me do it this time!" I told her and then it was my turn. SMACK!

"Hermione! Katrina!" said Ron weakly, and he tried to grab our hands as we swung back again.

"Get off, Ron!"

Hermione and I pulled out our wands. Draco stepped backward. Crabbe and Goyle looked at him for instructions, thoroughly bewildered.

"C'mon," Draco muttered, looking at me with a shocked and hurt expression on his face and in a moment, all three of them had disappeared into the passageway to the dungeons.

"Hermione!" Ron said again, sounding both stunned and impressed.

"Harry, Kat, you'd better beat him in the Quidditch final!" Hermione said shrilly. "You just better had, because I can't stand it if Slytherin wins!"

"We're due in Charms," said Ron, still goggling at Hermione and I. "We'd better go."

We hurried up the marble staircase toward Professor Flitwick's classroom.

Harry's POV

"You're late, boys!" said Professor Flitwick reprovingly as I opened the classroom door. "Come along, quickly, wands out, we're experimenting with Cheering Charms today, we've already divided into pairs—"

Ron and I hurried to a desk at the back and opened our bags. Ron looked behind him.

"Where have Hermione and Katrina gone?"

I looked around too. Hermione and Kat hadn't entered the classroom, yet I knew they had been right next to me when I had opened the door.

"That's weird," I said, staring at Ron. "Maybe—maybe they went to the bathroom or something?"

But neither Hermione or Kat turned up all lesson.

"They could've done with a Cheering Charm on them too," said Ron as the class left for lunch, all grinning broadly—the Cheering Charms had left us with a feeling of great contentment.

Hermione and Kat weren't at lunch either. By the time we had finished our apple pie, the after-effects of the Cheering Charms were wearing off, and Ron and I had started to get slightly worried.

"You don't think Malfoy did something to them?" Ron said anxiously as we hurried upstairs toward Gryffindor Tower.

We passed the security trolls, gave the Fat Lady the password ("Flibbertigibbet"), and scrambled through the portrait hole into the common room.

Hermione and Kat were sitting at a table, fast asleep, their heads resting on an open Arithmancy book. We went to sit down on either side of them. Ron shook Hermione awake while I prodded Kat.

"Wh—what?" said Hermione and Kat, waking with a start and staring wildly around. "Is it time to go? W—which lesson have we got now?

"Divination, but it's not for another twenty minutes," I said. "Hermione, Kat, why didn't you come to Charms?"

"What? Oh no!" Hermione squeaked. "We forgot to go to Charms!"

"But how could you forget?" said Ron. "You were with us till we were right outside the classroom!"

"I don't believe it!" Hermione wailed. "Was Professor Flitwick angry? Oh, it was Malfoy, we were thinking about him and lost track of things!"

"You know what?" said Ron, looking down at the enormous Arithmancy book they had been using as a pillow. "I reckon you're cracking up. You're trying to do too much."

"No, we're not!" said Hermione, brushing her hair out of her eyes and staring hopelessly around for her bag. "We just made a mistake, that's all! We'd better go and see Professor Flitwick and say sorry...I'll see you in Divination!" She tugged Kat out of her chair and the two raced out of the room.

Hermione and Kat joined us at the foot of the ladder to Professor Trelawney's classroom twenty minutes later, looking extremely harassed.

"I can't believe we missed Cheering Charms! And I bet they come up in our exams; Professor Flitwick hinted they might!"

Together we climbed the ladder into the dim, stifling tower room. Glowing on every little table was a crystal ball full of pearly white mist. Ron, Hermione, Kat, and I sat down together at the same rickety table.

"I thought we weren't starting crystal balls until next term," Ron muttered, casting a wary eye around for Professor Trelawney, in case she was lurking nearby.

"Don't complain, this means we've finished palmistry," I muttered back. "I was getting sick of her flinching every time she looked at my hands." Kat nodded sleepily in agreement.

"Good day to you!" said the familiar, misty voice, and Professor Trelawney made her usual dramatic entrance out of the shadows. Parvati and Lavender quivered with excitement, their faces lit by the milky glow of their crystal ball.

"I have decided to introduce the crystal ball a little earlier than I had planned," said Professor Trelawney, sitting with her back to the fire and gazing around. "The fates have informed me that your examination in June will concern the Orb, and I am anxious to give you sufficient practice."

Hermione snorted.

"Well, honestly...'the fates have informed her'...who sets the exam? She does! What an amazing prediction!" she said, not troubling to keep her voice low. We all choked back laughs.

It was hard to tell whether Professor Trelawney had heard us, as her face was hidden in shadow. She continued, however, as though she had not.

"Crystal gazing is a particularly refined art," she said dreamily. "I do not expect any of you to See when first you peer into the Orb's infinite depths. We shall start by practicing relaxing the conscious mind and external eyes"—Ron began to snigger uncontrollably and had to stuff his fist in his mouth to stifle the noise—"so as to clear the Inner Eye and the superconscious. Perhaps, if we are lucky, some of you will See before the end of the class."

And so we began. I, at least, felt extremely foolish, staring blankly at the crystal ball, trying to keep my mind empty when thoughts such as "this is stupid" kept drifting across it. It didn't help that Ron kept breaking into silent giggles and Hermione kept tutting.

"Seen anything yet?" I asked them after a quarter of an hour's quiet crystal gazing.

"Yeah, there's a burn on this table," said Ron, pointing. "Someone's spilled their candle."

"This is such a waste of time," Hermione hissed. "Kat and I could be practicing something useful. We could be catching up on Cheering Charms—"

Professor Trelawney rustled past.

"Would anyone like me to help them interpret the shadowy portents within their Orb?" she murmured over the clinking of her bangles.

"I don't need help," Ron whispered. "It's obvious what this means. There's going to be loads of fog tonight."

All four of us burst out laughing.

"Now, really!" said Professor Trelawney as everyone's heads turned in our direction. Parvati and Lavender were looking scandalized. "You are disturbing the clairvoyant vibrations!" She approached our table and peered into our crystal ball. I felt my heart sinking as I shared a look with Kat. We were sure we knew what was coming—

"There is something here!" Professor Trelawney whispered, lowering her face to the ball, so that it was reflected twice in her huge glasses. "Something moving...but what is it?"

I was prepared to bet everything I owned, including my Firebolt, that it wasn't good news, whatever it was. And sure enough—

"My dears...," Professor Trelawney breathed, gazing up at Kat and I. "It is here, plainer than ever before...my dears, stalking toward you, growing ever closer...the Gr—"

"Oh, for goodness' sake!" said Hermione loudly. "Not that ridiculous Grim again!"

Professor Trelawney raised her enormous eyes to Hermione's face. Parvati whispered something to Lavender, and they both glared at Hermione too. Professor Trelawney stood up, surveying Hermione with unmistakable anger.

"I am sorry to say that from the moment you have arrived in this class, my dear, it has been apparent that you do not have what the noble art of Divination requires. Indeed, I don't remember ever meeting a student whose mind was so hopelessly mundane."

There was a moment's silence. Then—

"Fine!" said Hermione suddenly, getting up and cramming Unfogging the Future back into her bag. "Fine!" she repeated, swinging the bag over her shoulder and almost knocking Ron off his chair. "I give up! I'm leaving!"

And to the whole class's amazement, Hermione strode over to the trapdoor, kicked it open, and climbed down the ladder out of sight.

"You know, I think I'll join her. I didn't take this class just to sit by and watch my best friend get insulted. You are a Professor, you should know better - shame on you!" Kat burst out as she too stood up and crammed her book into her bag.

"But...my dear, you can't leave. You of all people, I mean to say! Your aura is begging to be interpreted; your inner sight yearns to be set free. Surely, you must see that my child!"

"I am NOT your child and I'd appreciate it if you stayed the bloody hell away from my aura!" With that said, Kat spun around and headed down the stairs after Hermione. Ron and I looked at each other flabbergasted.

It took a few minutes for the class to settle down again. Professor Trelawney seemed to have forgotten all about the Grim. She turned abruptly from our table, breathing rather heavily as she tugged her gauzy shawl more closely to her.

"Ooooo!" said Lavender suddenly, making everyone start. "Oooooo, Professor Trelawney, I've just remembered! You saw her leaving, didn't you? Didn't you, Professor? 'Around Easter, one of our number will leave us forever!' You said it ages ago, Professor!"

Professor Trelawney gave her a dewy smile.

"Yes, my dear, I did indeed know that Miss Granger would be leaving us. One hopes, however, that one might have mistaken the Signs...The Inner Eye can be a burden, you know..."

"Well, her eye needs testing, since she clearly didn't see Kat leaving..." Ron mumbled under his breath, making me grin.

Lavender and Parvati looked deeply impressed, and moved over so that Professor Trelawney could join their table instead.

"Some day the girls are having, eh?" Ron muttered to me, looking awed.

"Yeah..."

I glanced into the crystal ball but saw nothing but swirling white mist. Had Professor Trelawney really seen the Grim again? Would I? Would Kat? The last thing we needed was another near-fatal accident, with the Quidditch final drawing ever nearer.

The Easter holidays were not exactly relaxing. We third years had never had so much homework. Neville seemed close to a nervous collapse, and he wasn't the only one.

"Call this a holiday!" Seamus Finnigan roared at the common room one afternoon. "The exams are ages away, what're they playing at?"

But nobody had as much to do as Hermione and Kat. Even without Divination, they were taking more subjects than anybody else. The two of them were usually last to leave the common room at night, first to arrive at the library the next morning; they had shadows like Lupin's under their eyes, and seemed constantly close to tears.

Now that we were all on good terms again, Hermione and Kat began to sit next to us again for meals and I had decided it would be my personal mission in life to make sure my best friend was eating enough food. I glanced over at the Hufflepuff table to see Cedric watching Kat closely and nodded to him to let him know that he need not worry about her. He nodded back and that was the end of that.

Ron had taken over responsibility for Buckbeak's appeal. When he wasn't doing his own work, he was poring over enormously thick volumes with names like The Handbook of Hippogriff Psychology and Fowl or Foul? A Study of Hippogriff Brutality. He was so absorbed, he even forgot to be horrible to Crookshanks.

Kat and I, meanwhile, also had to fit in our homework around Quidditch practice every day, not to mention endless discussions of tactics with Oliver. The Gryffindor-Slytherin match would take place on the first Saturday after the Easter holidays. Slytherin was leading the tournament by exactly two hundred points. This meant (as Oliver constantly reminded the team) that we needed to win the match by more than that amount to win the Cup. It also meant that the burden of winning fell largely on Kat and I, because capturing the Snitch was worth one hundred and fifty points.

"So you must catch it only if we're more than fifty points up," Oliver told me constantly. "Only if we're more than fifty points up - and Kat, I'm relying largely on you to ensure that happens - or we win the match but lose the Cup. You've got that, haven't you? You must catch the Snitch only if we're—"

"I KNOW, OLIVER!" I finally yelled. I was getting tired of hearing him repeat the same thing over and over again; not to mention, I was still angry with him for surprising Kat with that kiss at the last game! I was glad to see that Fred and George were keeping an eye on the two of them whenever they were in the same room. It felt better to know that I wasn't the only one who didn't like the idea of them being together. For a minute there, I'd had to tell myself repeatedly that it was only wrong because Oliver was too old - he's a seventh year for Merlin's sake! - I had briefly worried that I was simply jealous that it had been Oliver and not me who Kat had shared her first kiss with, but that was preposterous!

She was my best friend - nothing more, nothing less. Just my best friend...who I thought was insanely adorable and cute...and the sweetest most amazing person I'd ever met...and maybe wanted to marry one day. All completely normal thoughts to have about your best friend, right? (AN: hehe I feel so evil right now for putting Kat and Harry through all this relationship drama and knowing it's going to get wayyy more complicated in the next books before it all resolves itself :p but I don't want to write something that's been done a million times or is a total cliche - love is complicated and rarely does it work out on the first go - it just seems out of sync with my story to make things so straightforward for her when Kat's entire life and everything else about her is anything but that - so feel free to comment who you think she should go out with! I'm definitely planning to experiment with that so if I can, I'll probably try to incorporate a little of everything that you guys wanna see along with what I have in mind.)

Katrina's POV

The whole of Gryffindor House was obsessed with the coming match. Gryffindor hadn't won the Quidditch Cup since the legendary Charlie Weasley (Ron's second oldest brother) had been Seeker. But I doubted whether any of them, even Oliver, wanted to win as much as Harry and I did. The enmity between Harry and Malfoy - yes, I've decided to no longer be on a first name basis with that smarmy git - was at its highest point ever. Malfoy was still smarting about the mud-throwing incident in Hogsmeade - Harry had filled me in on what had happened - and was even more furious that Harry had somehow wormed his way out of punishment. Neither Harry or I had forgotten Malfoy's attempt to sabotage us in the match against Ravenclaw, but it was the matter of Buckbeak that made me most determined to beat Malfoy in front of the entire school.

Never, in anyone's memory, had a match approached in such a highly charged atmosphere. By the time the holidays were over, tension between the two teams and their Houses was at the breaking point. A number of small scuffles broke out in the corridors, culminating in a nasty incident in which a Gryffindor fourth year and a Slytherin sixth year ended up in the hospital wing with leeks sprouting out of their ears.

Harry and I were having a particularly bad time of it. We couldn't walk to class without Slytherins sticking out their legs and trying to trip us up; Crabbe and Goyle kept popping up wherever we went, and slouching away looking disappointed when they saw us surrounded by people. Oliver had given instructions that we should be accompanied everywhere we went, in case the Slytherins tried to put us out of action. The whole of Gryffindor House took up the challenge enthusiastically, so that it was impossible for Harry and I to get to classes on time because we were constantly surrounded by a vast, chattering crowd.

I noticed that Harry seemed more concerned for his Firebolt's safety than his own. When he wasn't flying it, he locked it securely in his trunk and frequently dashed back up to Gryffindor Tower at break times to check that it was still there.

I on the other hand, had too much homework to get done in the time I spent off the pitch and out of classes that I couldn't be bothered to waste my time running back and forth like he was. My 'honorary guard' must have been bored out of their minds sitting and watching Hermione and I scribble out our assignments. I felt bad for them and told them they didn't need to follow me - I wasn't even in Gryffindor! - but they wouldn't listen and insisted on staying.

All usual pursuits were abandoned in the Gryffindor common room the night before the match. Even Hermione and I decided to put down our books.

"We can't work," Hermione started to tell Ron and Harry nervously as we both looked back guiltily at our half finished homework.

"Yeah, it's way too hard to concentrate," I finished for her.

There was a great deal of noise. I looked around to see that Fred and George were dealing with the pressure by being louder and more exuberant than ever. Oliver was crouched over a model of a Quidditch field in the corner, prodding little figures across it with his wand and muttering to himself. Angelina and Alicia, and were laughing at Fred's and George's jokes.

"You're going to be fine," Hermione told Harry as we noticed his mood, though she looked positively terrified.

"You've got Firebolts!" said Ron.

"Yeah...," said Harry, not looking convinced.

It came as a relief when Oliver suddenly stood up and yelled, "Team! Bed!"

I skipped over to Harry and Ron and planted a kiss first on Ron's cheek then Harry's.

"Try and get some sleep, Harry. No offense but you look like you could use it!" I whispered in his ear.

"Me! Have you seen a mirror lately?" I gasped and twisted my face to look offended. I actually hadn't but that was beside the point.

"I'll have you know, Mr. Harry Potter, that there are only two people in the entire world who are gorgeous enough to pull off this tired, messy haired, worn-out look! Moi obviously being the first - and the second - of course, being the stunningly pretty Miss Hermione Granger!" I exclaimed as I hopped over to her and pretended to be Colin Creevey with his camera. (Yes I know I tend to overuse my commas, semicolons, etc. but not my priority right now so deal with it!)

I giggled as Hermione grabbed my hands to make me stop and rolled her eyes at my childish behavior.

As I hugged Hermione goodnight and waved to my friends as I made to clamber out of the portrait hole, I thought I heard Harry mutter, "yes, yes you most certainly are..." but I knew it was probably just wishful thinking.

I slept badly. First I dreamed that I had overslept, and that Oliver was yelling, "Where were you? We had to use Lavender Brown instead!" Then I dreamed that Malfoy and the rest of the Slytherin team arrived for the match riding dragons. Not sweet dragons like my Drake, but large ferocious looking ones! I was flying at breakneck speed, trying to avoid a spurt of flames from Malfoy's steed's mouth, when I realized I had forgotten my Firebolt. I fell through the air, until I landed on the back of another dragon who brought me back up to Malfoy's. I stared into the dragon's fiery eyes and tried to ignore the malicious whispering in my ear until the beast overpowered me and I turned into a gigantic flaming white wolf that snarled as it landed on the crowd and began to bite anyone within reach before running up and down the stands; my coat of flaming fur turning the wood to ash. I woke with a start to find that I had soaked my pajamas in sweat. I tumbled shakily out of bed and yanked out a new pair.

"It was just a dream! No way would Hogwarts bring dragons that big onto the grounds (awww poor delusional Kat; just wait till next year :p) and animagi could only transform into one animal so I'd never have to worry about turning into that fiery wolf! (Ok so been thinking of making up the term 'animorphmagus' - basically someone who can morph their features into any animal - but I'd love to hear back from you guys on whether you would like to see Kat as one or whether you think that's tacky/cliche and I should keep it to just one!)

There was no point trying to go back to sleep so I sat on my bed and worked on homework until it was time to head down to the Great Hall for breakfast.

Still not very hungry, I placed a few strips of bacon onto my plate and decided at the last minute to add a slice of buttered toast that I wasn't planning on eating so as to make my platter appear more full. I spent the rest of breakfast eating my way through the three strips of bacon as slowly as I could. Oliver finally motioned for us to get up and leave for the changing rooms and I sighed happily as I dropped the last half of bacon back onto my plate and made to stand up.

I heard a loud angry cough and looked up to see Harry glaring at me.

"What?" I said blinking at him and schooling my features to look the picture of innocent. Harry wasn't having any of it though.

"Don't you dare give me that look!"

"What look?" I widened my eyes, batted my lashes, and tilted my head slightly as I furrowed my brows to look slightly confused. Harry snorted.

"I know you far to well to fall for that adorable innocent doe-eyed look you've got on your face right now! Sit your bum back down and finish your food!"

I tried again and shifted my facial features to what I hoped was good enough to accomplish my goal.

"Stop it! Seriously, how do you do that with your eyes! No one should be able to do that!" I smiled sweetly at him and made for the door again but he wouldn't let me past him.

I glared at him.

"Don't think your death glare will work on me either, Kat! Even if looks could kill, I would still stand here as a ghost and make sure you finished every last bite of food.

I continued to glare at Harry as I picked up the piece of bacon and shoved it into my mouth and chewed as quickly as possible. Then I stood back up.

"Happy? Now can we go? Oliver is going to have a fit if we're late!" I said as I crossed my arms and tapped my feet impatiently. Harry mirrored my movements and looked pointedly at the piece of toast still on my plate.

"Sure! We can go as soon as that plate is completely empty. And no, vanishing it when I'm not looking will not work anymore! Did you really think I wouldn't catch on eventually?" Harry picked up the plate and held it out to me with a determined expression.

I threw my hands up in the air and groaned. It had worked so well these past few weeks. When no one was looking, I'd send most of my meal in small portions at a time over to Hagrid's hut for Drake to eat - to give the illusion that I was the one eating. How had Harry found out? I thought I had been careful enough about it! Ugh!

Harry continued to stare at me and I at him. "You're wasting time, Harry! We need to get to the field!"

Harry arched a brow. "I'm not the one wasting time, you are. The sooner you eat your toast, the sooner we can be on our way."

I growled and jammed the entire slice into my mouth as fast as possible; glaring at Harry the entire time.

"Cnnn weee ggggg nww?" I said around a mouthful of toast as I made to pass him again. Harry paused for a second then nodded and turned for the door. The second his back was turned I spat the half chewed toast into an empty goblet - feeling sorry for whoever was going to have to clean that up.

We were walking out when someone wished Harry good luck. My eyes narrowed as I saw Harry acting weird. I looked closer and realized it was Cho Chang. I felt that weird feeling in my stomach again and was silently happy that I had managed to not eat the toast for fear that it would be coming right back up if I had. I distracted myself by thinking about the match and smiled as my mood lightened once more.

I skipped past Harry and twisted so I was facing him as we continued to make our way out of the hall.

"We're gonna win, Harry! I just know it!" I said perfectly happy again now that we were on our way. Harry looked at me suspiciously then glanced back at the table as I knew he would. When he saw the plate sitting there as empty as before he turned back around and sped past me while sticking his tongue out. I punched my fist into the air and did a quick victory dance before jogging past him once more.

None of us spoke as we changed into our scarlet robes. I surreptitiously slipped my wand into my quidditch boot again like last time when no one was looking. It was highly unlikely that the dementors would make an appearance or that someone would try to pull off another stunt like Malfoy had, but I figured I'd rather have my wand and not need it, than wish I had it when I did need it. Now that I think about it, I never liked being without it.

It was like my wand's presence reassured me that I was strong enough to control my magic. Which I guess makes sense, since that was the purpose of a wand! But still, it felt safer when I channeled my power through my wand. Sometimes it felt like I didn't even need it - and that scared me.

My elemental magic terrified me ever since grandfather told me that I might discover I had an infinity towards other elements as well and I dreaded what new disaster would arise when I did, but at least I knew I could master it with practice - yet there were times when I'd think a spell in my mind and it almost seemed to work before I'd even begun to move my wand. And once I could have sworn I cast a spell without even having my wand on me!

Wandless and nonverbal magic was not unheard of since children often do so before they receive training, but this felt different. More powerful. And that much power, in my experience, never resulted in anything good. Just look at wizards like Grindelwald and Voldemort! Or their muggle counterparts. In muggle studies we'd learned about muggles like Hitler and Stalin who were clearly cut from the same mold. People like them thought they should have the power to rule...and then there were people like Sirius Black, who thought that by following these crazy people they could obtain a certain level of power themselves. Ugh, I hated that he was my father, the blood that flowed through my veins felt cursed. I shivered at that last thought.

"Okay, it's time, let's go—" Oliver's voice shocked me back to reality and I quickly stood and picked up my broom.

We walked out onto the field to a tidal wave of noise. Three-quarters of the crowd was wearing scarlet rosettes, waving scarlet flags with the Gryffindor lion upon them, or brandishing banners with slogans like "GO GRYFFINDOR!" and "LIONS FOR THE CUP!" Behind the Slytherin goal posts, however, two hundred people were wearing green; the silver serpent of Slytherin glittered on their flags, and I saw that Sev sat in the very front row, wearing green like everyone else, and a very grim smile.

"And here are the Gryffindors!" yelled Lee Jordan, who was acting as commentator as usual. "Potter, Katrina, Johnson, Spinnet, Weasley, Weasley, and Wood. Widely acknowledged as the best team Hogwarts has seen in a good few years—"

Lee's comments were drowned by a tide of "boos" from the Slytherin end. I couldn't help but think that Lee had gotten it wrong. He should have said Black. I was no longer just Katrina...I was Katrina Black. I sighed sadly as I realized this and wondered how many people would judge me - hate me - if they knew the truth. If even I hated me, then how could they possibly not?

"And here come the Slytherin team, led by Captain Flint. He's made some changes in the lineup and seems to be going for size rather than skill—"

More boos from the Slytherin crowd. I, however, thought Lee had a point. Malfoy was easily the smallest person on the Slytherin team; the rest of them were enormous.

"Captains, shake hands!" said Madam Hooch.

Flint and Oliver approached each other and grasped each other's hand very tightly; it looked as though each was trying to break the other's fingers.

"Mount your brooms!" said Madam Hooch. "Three...two...one..."

The sound of her whistle was lost in the roar from the crowd as fourteen brooms rose into the air. I felt my hair fly back off my forehead; my nerves left me in the thrill of the flight; I glanced around, saw the Quaffle and sped off after it.

"And it's Gryffindor in possession, Katrina with the Quaffle, heading straight for the Slytherin goal posts, looking good, Kat! Argh, no—Quaffle intercepted by Warrington, Warrington of Slytherin tearing up the field—WHAM!—nice Bludger work there by George Weasley, Warrington drops the Quaffle, it's caught by—Angelina, Gryffindor back in possession, she passes to Katrina, come on, Kat—nice swerve around Montague—duck, Katrina, that's a Bludger!—SHE SCORES! TEN—ZERO TO GRYFFINDOR!"

I punched the air and high fived Angelina as we soared around the end of the field; the sea of scarlet below was screaming its delight—

"OUCH!"

I was nearly thrown from my broom as Marcus Flint went smashing into me.

"Sorry!" said Flint as the crowd below booed. "Sorry, didn't see her!"

A moment later, Fred Weasley chucked his Beater's club at the back of Flint's head. Flint's nose smashed into the handle of his broom and began to bleed.

"That will do!" shrieked Madam Hooch, zooming between them. "Penalty shot to Gryffindor for an unprovoked attack on their Chaser! Penalty shot to Slytherin for deliberate damage to their Chaser!"

"Come off it, Miss!" howled Fred, but Madam Hooch blew her whistle and Alicia flew forward to take the penalty.

"Come on, Alicia!" yelled Lee into the silence that had descended on the crowd. "YES! SHE'S BEATEN THE KEEPER! TWENTY—ZERO TO GRYFFINDOR!"

I turned the Firebolt sharply to watch Flint, still bleeding freely, fly forward to take the Slytherin penalty. Oliver was hovering in front of the Gryffindor goal posts, his jaw clenched.

"'Course, Wood's a superb Keeper!" Lee Jordan told the crowd as Flint waited for Madam Hooch's whistle. "Superb! Very difficult to pass—very difficult indeed—YES! I DON'T BELIEVE IT! HE'S SAVED IT!"

Relieved, I zoomed alongside Angelina and Alicia as we raced to the Slytherin side.

"Gryffindor in possession, no, Slytherin in possession—no!—Gryffindor back in possession and it's Katrina, Katrina for Gryffindor with the Quaffle, she's streaking up the field—THAT WAS DELIBERATE!"

Montague, a Slytherin Chaser, had swerved in front of me and instead of seizing the Quaffle had grabbed my head. I cartwheeled in the air, managed to stay on my broom, but dropped the Quaffle.

Madam Hooch's whistle rang out again as she soared over to Montague and began shouting at him. A minute later, I had put another penalty past the Slytherin Seeker.

"THIRTY—ZERO! TAKE THAT, YOU DIRTY, CHEATING—"

"Jordan, if you can't commentate in an unbiased way—!"

"I'm telling it like it is, Professor!"

I grinned at the banter between the two but gasped as I saw Harry almost get hit by the two bludgers that had been sent his way when he had tricked Malfoy into thinking he'd seen the snitch.

I had a fleeting glimpse of Bole and Derrick zooming toward him, clubs raised—

I watched in fear as Harry turned his Firebolt upward at the last second, and Bole and Derrick collided with a sickening crunch.

"Ha haaa!" yelled Lee Jordan as the Slytherin Beaters lurched away from each other, clutching their heads. I laughed as I chased after the Quaffle. "Too bad, boys! You'll need to get up earlier than that to beat a Firebolt! And it's Gryffindor in possession again, as Johnson takes the Quaffle—Flint alongside her—poke him in the eye, Angelina!—it was a joke, Professor, it was a joke—oh no—Flint in possession, Flint flying toward the Gryffindor goal posts, come on now, Wood, save—!"

But Flint had scored; there was an eruption of cheers from the Slytherin end, and Lee swore so badly that Minnie tried to tug the magical megaphone away from him.

"Sorry, Professor, sorry! Won't happen again! So, Gryffindor in the lead, thirty points to ten, and Gryffindor in possession—"

It was turning into the dirtiest game I had ever played in. Enraged that Gryffindor had taken such an early lead, the Slytherins were rapidly resorting to any means to take the Quaffle. Bole hit Alicia with his club and tried to say he'd thought she was a Bludger. George Weasley elbowed Bole in the face in retaliation. Madam Hooch awarded both teams penalties, and Wood pulled off another spectacular save, making the score forty-ten to Gryffindor.

The Snitch had disappeared again and I noticed out of the corner of my eye that Malfoy was keeping close to Harry as he soared over the match, looking around for it—once Gryffindor was fifty points ahead—

I scored again. Fifty-ten. Fred and George Weasley were swooping around me, clubs raised, in case any of the Slytherins were thinking of revenge. Bole and Derrick took advantage of Fred's and George's absence to aim both Bludgers at Oliver; they caught him in the stomach, one after the other, and he rolled over in the air, clutching his broom, completely winded.

Madam Hooch was beside herself.

"YOU DO NOT ATTACK THE KEEPER UNLESS THE QUAFFLE IS WITHIN THE SCORING AREA!" she shrieked at Bole and Derrick. "Gryffindor penalty!"

And I scored again. Sixty-ten. Moments later, Fred Weasley pelted a Bludger at Warrington, knocking the Quaffle out of his hands; Alicia seized it and put it through the Slytherin goal—seventy-ten.

The Gryffindor crowd below was screaming itself hoarse—Gryffindor was sixty points in the lead, and if Harry caught the Snitch now, the Cup was ours! I focused on making sure Gryffindor stayed in possession, knowing full well that if the snitch showed up again, Harry would catch it. All I had to do was make sure that we stayed 50 points ahead!

I shouted angrily as I saw Malfoy throw himself forward and grab hold of Harry's Firebolt and pull it back. He had been so close!

"Penalty! Penalty to Gryffindor! I've never seen such tactics!" Madam Hooch screeched, shooting up to where Malfoy was sliding back onto his Nimbus Two Thousand and One.

"YOU CHEATING SCUM!" Lee Jordan was howling into the megaphone, dancing out of Professor McGonagall's reach. "YOU FILTHY, CHEATING B—"

Minnie didn't even bother to tell him off. She was actually shaking her finger in Malfoy's direction, her hat had fallen off, and she too was shouting furiously.

I took Gryffindor's penalty again, but was so angry I missed by several feet. I could tell I wasn't the only one losing concentration and the Slytherins, delighted by Malfoy's foul on Harry, were being spurred on to greater heights.

"Slytherin in possession, Slytherin heading for goal—Montague scores—" Lee groaned. "Seventy-twenty to Gryffindor..."

I cursed and leaned forward on my broom. I had to even the score back out before it was too late.

"Katrina gets the Quaffle for Gryffindor, come on, Kat, COME ON!"

Every single Slytherin player apart from Malfoy was streaking up the pitch toward me, including the Slytherin Keeper—they were all going to block me...

Suddenly Harry was there.

"AAAAAAARRRGH!"

They scattered as the Firebolt zoomed toward them; my way was clear. I laughed and shouted at Harry to tell him thanks.

"SHE SCORES! SHE SCORES! Gryffindor leads by eighty points to twenty!"

I cheered along with the crowd then noticed Malfoy diving, a look of triumph on his face—there, a few feet above the grass below, was a tiny, golden glimmer—

We watched with baited breath as Harry urged the Firebolt downward, but Malfoy was miles ahead—I screamed in fear as Harry flattened himself to the broom handle as Bole sent a Bludger at him—he was at Malfoy's ankles—he was level—

I forgot to breath as Harry threw himself forward and took both hands off his broom. He knocked Malfoy's arm out of the way and—

"YES!"

He pulled out of his dive, his hand in the air, and the stadium exploded. I sped towards him and almost knocked him off his broom as I hugged him tightly.

Then Oliver was speeding toward us, half-blinded by tears; he seized Harry around the neck and sobbed unrestrainedly into his shoulder. I felt two large thumps as Fred and George hit us; then Angelina's and Alicia's voices, "We've won the Cup! We've won the Cup!" Tangled together in a many-armed hug, we sank, yelling hoarsely, back to earth.

Wave upon wave of crimson supporters were pouring over the barriers onto the field. Hands were raining down on our backs. I had a confused impression of noise and bodies pressing in on me. I looked over and saw Oliver looking at me as if he was going to kiss me again but before I could decide whether or not I wanted him too, Fred and George had grabbed him by the arms and spun him so his back was too me.

Then I, and the rest of the team, were hoisted onto the shoulders of the crowd. Thrust into the light, I saw Hagrid, plastered with crimson rosettes—"Yeh beat 'em, Harry, yeh beat 'em, Kat! Wait till I tell Buckbeak!" There was Percy, jumping up and down like a maniac, all dignity forgotten. Minnie was sobbing harder even than Oliver, wiping her eyes with an enormous Gryffindor flag; and there, fighting their way toward Harry and I, were Ron and Hermione.

Words failed them. They simply beamed as we were borne toward the stands, where grandfather stood waiting with the enormous Quidditch Cup.

If only there had been a dementor around...As a sobbing Oliver passed Harry the Cup, as he lifted it into the air and pulled me into a hug, I felt I could have produced the world's best Patronus.


	16. Professor Trelawney's Prediction

Katrina's POV

Our euphoria at finally winning the Quidditch Cup lasted at least a week. Even the weather seemed to be celebrating; as June approached, the days became cloudless and sultry, and all anybody felt like doing was strolling onto the grounds and flopping down on the grass with several pints of iced pumpkin juice, perhaps playing a casual game of Gobstones or watching the giant squid propel itself dreamily across the surface of the lake.

But we couldn't. Exams were nearly upon us, and instead of lazing around outside, we were forced to remain inside the castle, trying to bully our brains into concentrating while enticing wafts of summer air drifted in through the windows. Even Fred and George had been spotted working; they were about to take their O.W.L.s (Ordinary Wizarding Levels). Percy was getting ready to take his N.E.W.T.s (Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Tests), the highest qualification Hogwarts offered. As Percy hoped to enter the Ministry of Magic, he needed top grades. He was becoming increasingly edgy, and gave very severe punishments to anybody who disturbed the quiet of the common room in the evenings. In fact, the only people who seemed more anxious than Percy were Hermione and I.

Thankfully Harry and Ron had given up asking us how we were managing to attend several classes at once, but they couldn't restrain themselves when they saw the exam schedule she had drawn up for us. The first column read:

Monday

9 o'clock, Arithmancy

9 o'clock, Transfiguration

Lunch

1 o'clock, Charms

1 o'clock, Ancient Runes

"Hermione?" Ron said cautiously, because she was liable to explode when interrupted these days. "Er—are you sure you've copied down these times right?"

"What?" snapped Hermione, picking up the exam schedule and examining it. "Yes, of course I have."

"Is there any point asking how you two are going to sit for two exams at once?" said Harry.

"No," said Hermione shortly. "Have either of you seen my copy of Numerology and Gramatica?"

"Oh, yeah, I borrowed it for a bit of bedtime reading," said Ron, but very quietly. I helped Hermione shift our heaps of parchment around on the table, looking for the book. Just then, there was a rustle at the window and Hedwig fluttered through it, a note clutched tight in her beak.

"It's from Hagrid," said Harry, ripping the note open. "Buckbeak's appeal—it's set for the sixth."

"That's the day we finish our exams," I said, still looking everywhere for her Arithmancy book.

"And they're coming up here to do it," said Harry, still reading from the letter. "Someone from the Ministry of Magic and—and an executioner."

I looked up, startled.

"They're bringing the executioner to the appeal! But that sounds as though they've already decided!"

"Yeah, it does," said Harry slowly.

"They can't!" Ron howled. "I've spent ages reading up on stuff for him; they can't just ignore it all!"

But I had a horrible feeling that the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures had had its mind made up for it by Mr. Malfoy. Draco Malfoy, who had been noticeably subdued since Gryffindor's triumph in the Quidditch final, seemed to regain some of his old swagger over the next few days. From sneering comments I overheard, Malfoy was certain Buckbeak was going to be killed, and seemed thoroughly pleased with himself for bringing it about. It was all I could do to stop myself from hitting Malfoy in the face again on these occasions. And the worst thing of all was that they had no time or opportunity to go and see Hagrid - or Drake, because the strict new security measures had not been lifted, and Harry didn't dare retrieve his Invisibility Cloak from below the one-eyed witch.

\----------------------------------------------

Exam week began and an unnatural hush fell over the castle. We emerged from Transfiguration at lunchtime on Monday, limp and ashen-faced, comparing results and bemoaning the difficulty of the tasks we had been set, which had included turning a teapot into a tortoise. Hermione and I left the room discussing how her tortoise had looked more like a turtle. I did my best to convince her that I was sure she would get good marks for it but she still fretted.

Hermione and I then used our time turners to go back and take our Arithmancy exam which turned out to be a lot easier than either of us thought! I liked Arithmancy. You plugged numbers into a formula and if you did it right then you would alway get the right answer. I wish life worked like that...

Then, after a hasty lunch that Harry forced me to eat, it was straight back upstairs for the Charms exam. Hermione had been right; Professor Flitwick did indeed test us on Cheering Charms. Harry slightly overdid his out of nerves and Ron, who was partnering him, ended up in fits of hysterical laughter and had to be led away to a quiet room for an hour before he was ready to perform the charm himself.

Then Hermione and I took our Ancient Runes exam. I feared I might have mixed up a few of my translations! Hermione said that she was sure I'd done better than she had, but I didn't think that was true.

After dinner, we hurried back to the Gryffindor common rooms, not to relax, but to start studying for Care of Magical Creatures, Potions, and Astronomy.

Hagrid presided over the Care of Magical Creatures exam the following morning with a very preoccupied air indeed; his heart didn't seem to be in it at all. He had provided a large tub of fresh flobberworms for the class, and told us that to pass the test, our flobberworm had to still be alive at the end of one hour. As flobberworms flourished best if left to their own devices, it was the easiest exam any of us had ever taken, and also gave Harry, Ron, Hermione, and I plenty of opportunity to speak to Hagrid.

"Beaky's gettin' a bit depressed," Hagrid told us, bending low on the pretense of checking that Harry's flobberworm was still alive. "Bin cooped up too long. Drake's been great to him, Kat...But still...we'll know day after tomorrow—one way or the other—"

I hugged Hagrid before we left, my heart breaking as I looked at my giant friend and saw tears sparkling in his eyes. I could only imagine what he must be going through, and what I was imagining felt horrible.

We had Potions that afternoon, which went alright. I managed to finish my Confusing Concoction in half the time by making a few shortcuts and saw Sev send me the slightest smile before he passed onto the next student.

Then came Astronomy at midnight, up on the tallest tower; History of Magic on Wednesday morning, in which I scribbled everything I remembered about medieval witch-hunts. Wednesday afternoon meant Herbology, in the greenhouses under a baking-hot sun; then back to the common room once more, with sunburnt necks, thinking longingly of this time next day, when it would all be over.

Our second to last exam, on Thursday morning, was Defense Against the Dark Arts. Professor Lupin had compiled the most unusual exam any of us had ever taken; a sort of obstacle course outside in the sun, where we had to wade across a deep paddling pool containing a grindylow, cross a series of potholes full of Red Caps, squish our way across a patch of marsh while ignoring misleading directions from a hinkypunk, then climb into an old trunk and battle with a new boggart.

"Excellent, Harry," Lupin muttered as Harry climbed out of the trunk, grinning. "Full marks."

Flushed with his success, Harry hung around to watch Ron, Hermione, and I. Ron did very well until he reached the hinkypunk, which successfully confused him into sinking waist-high into the quagmire. Hermione did everything perfectly until she reached the trunk with the boggart in it. After about a minute inside it, she burst out again, screaming.

"Hermione!" said Lupin, startled. "What's the matter?"

"P—P—Professor McGonagall!" Hermione gasped, pointing into the trunk. "Sh—she said I'd failed everything!"

It took a little while to calm Hermione down. Then it was my turn. I managed my way though to the boggart but hesitated. Lessons with Lupin had made it a lot easier to face the creatures but I still didn't like them one bit! I climbed into the trunk and turned to face the creature. The next thing I knew, the trunk had burst into flames and the now familiar scene was playing out before my eyes. Bodies burned to dust as I stood their frozen and unable to help my friends. Then the hooded figure stepped out from the flames and pulled off his hood. I just stood there and stared at Sirius Black as he laughed wickedly and motioned for me to join him. I shook my head fiercely and lifted my wand.

"Riddikulus!"

I sighed in relief as I clambered out of the trunk and we all went back to the castle. Ron was still slightly inclined to laugh at Hermione's boggart, but an argument was averted by the sight that met us on the top of the steps.

Cornelius Fudge, sweating slightly in his pinstriped cloak, was standing there staring out at the grounds. He started at the sight of Harry.

"Hello there, Harry!" he said. "Just had an exam, I expect? Nearly finished?"

"Yes," said Harry. Hermione, Ron, and I, not being on speaking terms with the Minister of Magic, hovered awkwardly in the background.

"Lovely day," said Fudge, casting an eye over the lake. Then he spotted me and blinked his eyes in surprise. "Ah, you must be Katrina, nice to meet you my dear!"

I shook the hand he had outstretched,  
not sure what to say.

"Pity... pity..."

He sighed deeply and looked down at Harry and I.

"I'm here on an unpleasant mission. The Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures required a witness to the execution of a mad hippogriff. As I needed to visit Hogwarts to check on the Black situation, I was asked to step in."

"Does that mean the appeal's already happened?" Ron interrupted, stepping forward.

"No, no, it's scheduled for this afternoon," said Fudge, looking curiously at Ron.

"Then you might not have to witness an execution at all!" said Ron stoutly. "The hippogriff might get off!"

Before Fudge could answer, two wizards came through the castle doors behind him. One was so ancient he appeared to be withering before our very eyes; the other was tall and strapping, with a thin black mustache. I gathered that they were representatives of the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures, because the very old wizard squinted toward Hagrid's cabin and said in a feeble voice, "Dear, dear, I'm getting too old for this...Two o'clock, isn't it, Fudge?" I clenched my hands into fists, this was just wrong! I felt a hand wrap around mine and looked down to see that Harry had my hand in his. I squeezed it tightly.

The black-mustached man was fingering something in his belt; I looked and saw that he was running one broad thumb along the blade of a shining axe. Ron opened his mouth to say something, but Hermione nudged him hard in the ribs and jerked her head toward the entrance hall.

"Why'd you stop me?" said Ron angrily as they entered the Great Hall for lunch. "Did you see them? They've even got the axe ready! This isn't justice!"

"Ron, your dad works for the Ministry, you can't go saying things like that to his boss!" said Hermione, but she too looked very upset. "As long as Hagrid keeps his head this time, and argues his case properly, they can't possibly execute Buckbeak..."

But I could tell Hermione didn't really believe what she was saying. All around us, people were talking excitedly as they ate their lunch, happily anticipating the end of the exams that afternoon, but Harry, Ron, Hermione, and I were lost in worry about Hagrid and Buckbeak and didn't join in.

Harry's POV

Ron and I's last exam was Divination; Hermione's and Kat's, Muggle Studies. We walked up the marble staircase together; Hermione and Kat left us on the first floor and Ron and I proceeded all the way up to the seventh, where many of our class were sitting on the spiral staircase to Professor Trelawney's classroom, trying to cram in a bit of last-minute studying.

"She's seeing us all separately," Neville informed us as we went to sit down next to him. He had his copy of Unfogging the Future open on his lap at the pages devoted to crystal gazing. "Have either of you ever seen anything in a crystal ball?" he asked us unhappily.

"Nope," said Ron in an offhand voice. He kept checking his watch; I knew that he was counting down the time until Buckbeak's appeal started.

The line of people outside the classroom shortened very slowly. As each person climbed back down the silver ladder, the rest of the class hissed, "What did she ask? Was it okay?"

But they all refused to say.

"She says the crystal ball's told her that if I tell you, I'll have a horrible accident!" squeaked Neville as he clambered back down the ladder toward Ron and I.

"That's convenient," snorted Ron. "You know, I'm starting to think Hermione and Kat were right about her"—he jabbed his thumb toward the trapdoor overhead—"she's a right old fraud."

"Yeah," I said, looking at my own watch. It was now two o'clock. "Wish she'd hurry up..."

Parvati came back down the ladder glowing with pride.

"She says I've got all the makings of a true Seer," she informed us. "I saw loads of stuff...Well, good luck!"

She hurried off down the spiral staircase toward Lavender.

"Ronald Weasley," said the familiar, misty voice from over their heads. Ron grimaced at me and climbed the silver ladder out of sight. I was now the only person left to be tested. I settled myself on the floor with my back against the wall, listening to a fly buzzing in the sunny window, my mind across the grounds with Hagrid.

Finally, after about twenty minutes, Ron's large feet reappeared on the ladder.

"How'd it go?" I asked him, standing up.

"Rubbish," said Ron. "Couldn't see a thing, so I made some stuff up. Don't think she was convinced, though..."

"Meet you in the common room," I muttered as Professor Trelawney's voice called, "Harry Potter!"

The tower room was hotter than ever before; the curtains were closed, the fire was alight, and the usual sickly scent made me cough as I stumbled through the clutter of chairs and tables to where Professor Trelawney sat waiting for me before a large crystal ball.

"Good day, my dear," she said softly. "If you would kindly gaze into the Orb... Take your time, now...then tell me what you see within it..."

I bent over the crystal ball and stared, stared as hard as I could, willing it to show me something other than swirling white fog, but nothing happened.

"Well?" Professor Trelawney prompted delicately. "What do you see?"

The heat was overpowering and my nostrils were stinging with the perfumed smoke wafting from the fire beside us. I thought of what Ron had just said, and decided to pretend.

"Er—" I said, "a dark shape...um..."

"What does it resemble?" whispered Professor Trelawney. "Think, now..."

I cast my mind around and it landed on Buckbeak.

"A hippogriff," I said firmly.

"Indeed!" whispered Professor Trelawney, scribbling keenly on the parchment perched upon her knees. "My boy, you may well be seeing the outcome of poor Hagrid's trouble with the Ministry of Magic! Look closer... Does the hippogriff appear to...have its head?"

"Yes," I said firmly.

"Are you sure?" Professor Trelawney urged me. "Are you quite sure, dear? You don't see it writhing on the ground, perhaps, and a shadowy figure raising an axe behind it?"

"No!" I said, starting to feel slightly sick.

"No blood? No weeping Hagrid?"

"No!" I said again, wanting more than ever to leave the room and the heat. "It looks fine, it's—flying away..."

Professor Trelawney sighed.

"Well, dear, I think we'll leave it there... A little disappointing...but I'm sure you did your best."

Relieved, I got up, picked up my bag and turned to go, but then a loud, harsh voice spoke behind me.

"It will happen tonight."

I wheeled around. Professor Trelawney had gone rigid in her armchair; her eyes were unfocused and her mouth sagging.

"S—sorry?" I said.

But Professor Trelawney didn't seem to hear me. Her eyes started to roll. I sat there in a panic. She looked as though she was about to have some sort of seizure. I hesitated, thinking of running to the hospital wing—and then Professor Trelawney spoke again, in the same harsh voice, quite unlike her own:

"The Dark Lord lies alone and friendless, abandoned by his followers. His servant has been chained these twelve years. Tonight, before midnight...secrets will be revealed...a family restored...yet the servant will break free and set out to rejoin his master. The Dark Lord will rise again with his servant's and his child's aid, greater and more terrible than ever he was. Tonight...before midnight...the servant...will set out...to rejoin...his master..." (I switched up a few lines so let me know if you think it flowed alright. I will obviously add more to her original prophecy about Harry but this one doesn't seem to need much editing)

Professor Trelawney's head fell forward onto her chest. She made a grunting sort of noise. I sat there, staring at her. Then, quite suddenly, Professor Trelawney's head snapped up again.

"I'm so sorry, dear boy," she said dreamily, "the heat of the day, you know...I drifted off for a moment..."

I sat there, staring at her.

"Is there anything wrong, my dear?"

"You—you just told me that the—the Dark Lord's going to rise again...that his servant's going to go back to him..."

Professor Trelawney looked thoroughly startled.

"The Dark Lord? He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named? My dear boy, that's hardly something to joke about...Rise again, indeed—"

"But you just said it! You said the Dark Lord—"

"I think you must have dozed off too, dear!" said Professor Trelawney. "I would certainly not presume to predict anything quite as far-fetched as that!"

I climbed back down the ladder and the spiral staircase, wondering...had I just heard Professor Trelawney make a real prediction? Or had that been her idea of an impressive end to the test? But what was that part about the Dark Lord's child? I knew who that was! That was Kat! Did this mean that she would help her father rise to power again? The Kat I knew would never do so, but what if he found a way to get to her like he had last year! I couldn't lose her!

Five minutes later I was dashing past the security trolls outside the entrance to Gryffindor Tower, Professor Trelawney's words still resounding in my head. People were striding past me in the opposite direction, laughing and joking, heading for the grounds and a bit of long-awaited freedom; by the time I had reached the portrait hole and entered the common room, it was almost deserted. Over in the corner, however, sat Ron, Hermione, and Kat.

"Professor Trelawney," I panted, "just told me—"

But I stopped abruptly at the sight of their faces.

"Buckbeak lost," said Ron weakly. "Hagrid's just sent this."

Hagrid's note was dry this time, no tears had splattered it, yet his hand seemed to have shaken so much as he wrote that it was hardly legible.

Lost appeal. They're going to execute at sunset.

Nothing you can do. Don't come down.

I don't want you to see it.

Hagrid

"We've got to go," I said at once. "He can't just sit there on his own, waiting for the executioner!"

"Sunset, though," said Ron, who was staring out the window in a glazed sort of way. "We'd never be allowed...'specially you two..." Ron glanced between Kat and I.

I sank my head into my hands, thinking.

"If we only had the Invisibility Cloak..."

"Where is it?" said Hermione.

I told her about leaving it in the passageway under the one-eyed witch.

"...if Snape sees me anywhere near there again, I'm in serious trouble," I finished.

"That's true," said Kat, getting to her feet and helping Hermione to hers. "If he sees you...How do you open the witch's hump again?"

"You—you tap it and say, 'Dissendium,'" I said. "But—"

Kat and Hermione didn't wait for the rest of my sentence; they strode across the room, pushed open the Fat Lady's portrait and vanished from sight.

"They haven't gone to get it?" Ron said, staring after them.

They had. Hermione and Kat returned a quarter of an hour later with the silvery cloak folded carefully under Kat's robes.

"Hermione, Kat, I don't know what's gotten into you lately!" said Ron, astounded. "First you hit Malfoy, then you walk out on Professor Trelawney—"

Hermione looked rather flattered and Kat blushed and stared at the floor.

We went down to dinner with everybody else, but did not return to Gryffindor Tower afterward. I had the cloak hidden down the front of my robes; I had to keep my arms folded to hide the lump. We skulked in an empty chamber off the entrance hall, listening, until we were sure it was deserted. We heard a last pair of people hurrying across the hall and a door slamming. Hermione and Kat poked their heads around the door.

"Okay," they whispered, "no one there—cloak on—"

Walking very close together so that nobody would see us, we crossed the hall on tiptoe beneath the cloak, then walked down the stone front steps into the grounds. The sun was already sinking behind the Forbidden Forest, gilding the top branches of the trees.

We reached Hagrid's cabin and knocked. He was a minute in answering, and when he did, he looked all around for his visitor, pale-faced and trembling.

"It's us," I hissed. "We're wearing the Invisibility Cloak. Let us in and we can take it off."

"Yeh shouldn've come!" Hagrid whispered, but he stood back, and we stepped inside. Hagrid shut the door quickly and I pulled off the cloak. There was a rustling sound and I looked over to see Drake flying over to perch on Kat's shoulder like always. I watched for a second as Kat greeted her dragon after not having seen him in so long. They made such an adorable picture right now! I shook my head and tore my gaze away from them to look at Hagrid.

Hagrid was not crying, nor did he throw himself upon our necks. He looked like a man who did not know where he was or what to do. This helplessness was worse to watch than tears.

"Wan' some tea?" he said. His great hands were shaking as he reached for the kettle.

"Where's Buckbeak, Hagrid?" said Kat hesitantly.

"I—I took him outside," said Hagrid, spilling milk all over the table as he filled up the jug. "He's tethered in me pumpkin patch. Thought he oughta see the trees an'—an' smell fresh air—before—"

Hagrid's hand trembled so violently that the milk jug slipped from his grasp and shattered all over the floor.

"I'll do it, Hagrid," said Hermione quickly, hurrying over and starting to clean up the mess.

"There's another one in the cupboard," Hagrid said, sitting down and wiping his forehead on his sleeve. I glanced at Ron, who looked back hopelessly.

"Isn't there anything anyone can do, Hagrid?" I asked fiercely, sitting down next to him. "Dumbledore—"

"He's tried," said Hagrid. "He's got no power ter overrule the Committee. He told 'em Buckbeak's all right, but they're scared...Yeh know what Lucius Malfoy's like...threatened 'em, I expect...an' the executioner, Macnair, he's an old pal o' Malfoy's...but it'll be quick an' clean...an' I'll be beside him..."

Hagrid swallowed. His eyes were darting all over the cabin as though looking for some shred of hope or comfort.

"Dumbledore's gonna come down while it—while it happens. Wrote me this mornin'. Said he wants ter—ter be with me. Great man, Dumbledore..."

Hermione, who had been rummaging in Hagrid's cupboard for another milk jug, let out a small, quickly stifled sob. She straightened up with the new jug in her hands, fighting back tears.

"We'll stay with you too, Hagrid," she began, but Hagrid shook his shaggy head.

"Yeh're ter go back up ter the castle. I told yeh, I don' wan' yeh watchin'. An' yeh shouldn' be down here anyway...If Fudge an' Dumbledore catch yeh out without permission, Harry, Kat, yeh'll be in big trouble."

Silent tears were now streaming down Hermione's face, but she hid them from Hagrid, bustling around making tea. Then, as she picked up the milk bottle to pour some into the jug, she let out a shriek.

"Ron! I—I don't believe it—it's Scabbers!"

Ron gaped at her.

"What are you talking about?"

Hermione carried the milk jug over to the table and turned it upside down. With a frantic squeak, and much scrambling to get back inside, Scabbers the rat came sliding out onto the table.

"Scabbers!" said Ron blankly. "Scabbers, what are you doing here?"

He grabbed the struggling rat and held him up to the light. Scabbers looked dreadful. He was thinner than ever, large tufts of hair had fallen out leaving wide bald patches, and he writhed in Ron's hands as though desperate to free himself.

"It's okay, Scabbers!" said Ron. "No cats! There's nothing here to hurt you!"

Hagrid suddenly stood up, his eyes fixed on the window. His normally ruddy face had gone the color of parchment.

"They're comin'..."

Ron, Hermione, Kat, and I whipped around. A group of men were walking down the distant castle steps. In front was Albus Dumbledore, his silver beard gleaming in the dying sun. Next to him trotted Cornelius Fudge. Behind them came the feeble old Committee member and the executioner, Macnair.

"Yeh gotta go," said Hagrid. Every inch of him was trembling. "They mustn' find yeh here...Go now..."

Ron stuffed Scabbers into his pocket and Hermione and Kat picked up the cloak.

"I'll let yeh out the back way," said Hagrid.

We followed him to the door into his back garden. I felt strangely unreal, and even more so when I saw Buckbeak a few yards away, tethered to a tree behind Hagrid's pumpkin patch. Buckbeak seemed to know something was happening. He turned his sharp head from side to side and pawed the ground nervously.

"It's okay, Beaky," said Hagrid softly as Drake flew over to land on Buckbeak's "It's okay..." He turned to Ron, Hermione, Kat, and I. "Go on," he said. "Get goin'."

But we didn't move.

"Hagrid, we can't—" Kat started to say but she couldn't finish.

"We'll tell them what really happened—"

"They can't kill him—"

"Go!" said Hagrid fiercely. "It's bad enough without you lot in trouble an' all!"

We had no choice. As Hermione and Kat threw the cloak over Ron and I, we heard voices at the front of the cabin. Hagrid looked at the place where they had just vanished from sight.

"Go quick," he said hoarsely. "Don' listen..."

And he strode back into his cabin as someone knocked at the front door.

Slowly, in a kind of horrified trance, we set off silently around Hagrid's house. As we reached the other side, the front door closed with a sharp snap.

"Please, let's hurry," Kat whispered. "I can't stand it, I can't bear it..." I grasped her hand in mine and tried to offer what little comfort I could.

We started up the sloping lawn toward the castle. The sun was sinking fast now; the sky had turned to a clear, purple-tinged grey, but to the west there was a ruby-red glow.

Ron stopped dead.

"Oh, please, Ron," Hermione began.

"It's Scabbers—he won't—stay put—"

Ron was bent over, trying to keep Scabbers in his pocket, but the rat was going berserk; squeaking madly, twisting and flailing, trying to sink his teeth into Ron's hand.

"Scabbers, it's me, you idiot, it's Ron," Ron hissed.

We heard a door open behind us and men's voices.

"Oh, Ron, please let's move, they're going to do it!" Hermione breathed.

"Okay—Scabbers, stay put—"

We walked forward; I, like Hermione and Kat, was trying not to listen to the rumble of voices behind us. Ron stopped again.

"I can't hold him—Scabbers, shut up, everyone'll hear us—"

The rat was squealing wildly, but not loudly enough to cover up the sounds drifting from Hagrid's garden. There was a jumble of indistinct male voices, a silence, and then, without warning, the unmistakable swish and thud of an axe.

Hermione and Kat swayed on the spot.

"They did it!" Kat whispered to me. "I d—don't believe it—they did it!"

(It's a little shorter of a chapter and I couldn't really think of much to add but hoped you liked what I did! Like I said I'd love input on whether y'all like the idea of making Kat have multiple forms because unless I hear otherwise, I might try and incorporate a new form into the next chapter, so speak up now if you have a problem with it! I'm happy to keep it the way it is if that's what y'all would prefer! - if I don't hear otherwise, then I'm just gonna go for it lol)


	17. Cat, Rat, and Dog

Harry's POV

My mind had gone blank with shock. The four of us stood transfixed with horror under the Invisibility Cloak. I hugged Kat close to me as she rested her head on my shoulder and buried her face. The very last rays of the setting sun were casting a bloody light over the long-shadowed grounds. Then, behind us, we heard a wild howling.

"Hagrid," Kat and I muttered. Without thinking about what we were doing, we made to turn back, but both Ron and Hermione seized our arms.

"We can't," said Ron, who was paper-white. "He'll be in worse trouble if they know we've been to see him..."

Hermione's breathing was shallow and uneven.

"How—could—they?" she choked. "How could they?"

"Come on," said Ron, whose teeth seemed to be chattering. He wrapped his arm around Hermione as I had done for Kat.

We set off back toward the castle, walking slowly to keep ourselves hidden under the cloak. The light was fading fast now. By the time we reached open ground, darkness was settling like a spell around us.

"Scabbers, keep still," Ron hissed, clamping his hand over his chest. The rat was wriggling madly. Ron came to a sudden halt, trying to force Scabbers deeper into his pocket. "What's the matter with you, you stupid rat? Stay still—OUCH! He bit me!"

"Ron, be quiet!" Hermione whispered urgently. "Fudge'll be out here in a minute—"

"He won't—stay—put—"

Scabbers was plainly terrified. He was writhing with all his might, trying to break free of Ron's grip.

"What's the matter with him?"

But I had just seen—slinking toward us, his body low to the ground, wide yellow eyes glinting eerily in the darkness—Crookshanks. Whether he could see us or was following the sound of Scabbers's squeaks, I couldn't tell. As I looked more closely at Crookshanks, I couldn't help but sense that there was something different about him tonight...something was off...but I couldn't tell what.

"Crookshanks!" Hermione moaned. "No, go away, Crookshanks! Go away!"

But the cat was getting nearer—

"Scabbers—NO!"

Too late—the rat had slipped between Ron's clutching fingers, hit the ground, and scampered away. In one bound, Crookshanks sprang after him, and before Hermione, Kat, or I could stop him, Ron had thrown the Invisibility Cloak off himself and pelted away into the darkness.

"Ron!" Hermione moaned.

The three of us looked at each other, then followed at a sprint; it was impossible to run full out under the cloak; we pulled it off and it streamed behind us like a banner as we hurtled after Ron; we could hear his feet thundering along ahead and his shouts at Crookshanks.

"Get away from him—get away—Scabbers, come here—"

There was a loud thud.

"Gotcha! Get off, you stinking cat—"

We almost fell over Ron; we skidded to a stop right in front of him. He was sprawled on the ground, but Scabbers was back in his pocket; he had both hands held tight over the quivering lump.

"Ron—come on—back under the cloak—" Hermione panted. "Dumbledore—the Minister—they'll be coming back out in a minute—"

But before we could cover ourselves again, before we could even catch our breath, we heard the soft pounding of gigantic paws...Something was bounding toward us, quiet as a shadow—an enormous, pale-eyed, jet-black dog.

I saw Kat's eyes widen in recognition as I reached for my wand, but too late—the dog had made an enormous leap and the front paws hit me on the chest; I keeled over backward in a whirl of hair; I felt its hot breath, saw inch-long teeth—

But the force of its leap had carried it too far; it rolled off me. Dazed, feeling as though my ribs were broken, I tried to stand up; I could hear it growling as it skidded around for a new attack.

Ron was on his feet. As the dog sprang back toward them he pushed me aside; the dog's jaws fastened instead around Ron's outstretched arm. I lunged forward and seized a handful of the brute's hair, but it was dragging Ron away as easily as though he were a rag doll—

Then, out of nowhere, something hit me so hard across the face I was knocked off my feet again. I heard Hermione and Kat shriek with pain and fall too.

I groped for my wand, blinking blood out of my eyes—

"Lumos!" I whispered.

The wandlight showed us the trunk of a thick tree; we had chased Scabbers into the shadow of the Whomping Willow and its branches were creaking as though in a high wind, whipping backward and forward to stop us going nearer.

And there, at the base of the trunk, was the dog, dragging Ron backward into a large gap in the roots—Ron was fighting furiously, but his head and torso were slipping out of sight—

"Ron!" I shouted, trying to follow, but a heavy branch whipped lethally through the air and I was forced backward again.

All we could see now was one of Ron's legs, which he had hooked around a root in an effort to stop the dog from pulling him farther underground—but a horrible crack cut the air like a gunshot; Ron's leg had broken, and a moment later, his foot vanished from sight.

"Harry—we've got to go for help—" Kat gasped; she was bleeding too; the Willow had cut her across the shoulder.

"No! That thing's big enough to eat him; we haven't got time—"

"Harry—we're never going to get through without help—"

Another branch whipped down at us, twigs clenched like knuckles.

"If that dog can get in, we can," I panted, darting here and there, trying to find a way through the vicious, swishing branches, but I couldn't get an inch nearer to the tree roots without being in range of the tree's blows.

"Oh, help, help," Hermione whispered frantically, dancing uncertainly on the spot, "please..."

Crookshanks darted forward. He slithered between the battering branches like a snake and placed his front paws upon a knot on the trunk.

Abruptly, as though the tree had been turned to marble, it stopped moving. Not a leaf twitched or shook.

"Crookshanks!" Hermione whispered uncertainly. She now grasped my arm painfully hard. "How did he know—?"

"He's friends with that dog," I said grimly. "I've seen them together. Come on—and keep your wand out—"

We covered the distance to the trunk in seconds, but before we had reached the gap in the roots, Crookshanks had slid into it with a flick of his bottlebrush tail. I went next; I crawled forward, headfirst, and slid down an earthy slope to the bottom of a very low tunnel. Crookshanks was a little way along, his eyes flashing in the light from my wand. I squinted after him as I tried to figure out what it was that was different about him. Seconds later, Hermione and Kat slithered down beside me.

"Where's Ron?" Kat whispered in a terrified voice.

"This way," I said, setting off, bent-backed, after Crookshanks.

"Where does this tunnel come out?" Hermione asked breathlessly from behind me.

"I don't know...It's marked on the Marauder's Map but Fred and George said no one's ever gotten into it...It goes off the edge of the map, but it looked like it was heading for Hogsmeade..."

We moved as fast as we could, bent almost double; ahead of us, Crookshanks's tail bobbed in and out of view. On and on went the passage; it felt at least as long as the one to Honeydukes...All I could think of was Ron and what the enormous dog might be doing to him...

And then the tunnel began to rise; moments later it twisted, and Crookshanks had gone. Instead, we could see a patch of dim light through a small opening.

The three of us paused, gasping for breath, edging forward. We raised our wands to see what lay beyond.

It was a room, a very disordered, dusty room. Paper was peeling from the walls; there were stains all over the floor; every piece of furniture was broken as though somebody had smashed it. The windows were all boarded up.

I glanced at Kat and Hermione, who looked very frightened but nodded.

I pulled myself out of the hole and then reached down to help Kat. Once all three of us were out, we stared around. The room was deserted, but a door to our right stood open, leading to a shadowy hallway. Hermione suddenly grabbed my arm again. Her wide eyes were traveling around the boarded windows.

"Harry," she whispered, "I think we're in the Shrieking Shack."

I looked around. My eyes fell on a wooden chair near them. Large chunks had been torn out of it; one of the legs had been ripped off entirely.

"Ghosts didn't do that," I said slowly.

At that moment, there was a creak overhead. Something had moved upstairs. We looked up at the ceiling. Hermione's grip on my arm was so tight I was losing feeling in my fingers. I raised my eyebrows at her; she nodded again and let go.

Quietly as we could, we crept out into the hall and up the crumbling staircase. Everything was covered in a thick layer of dust except the floor, where a wide shiny stripe had been made by something being dragged upstairs.

We reached the dark landing.

"Nox," we whispered together, and the lights at the end of our wands went out. Only one door was open. As we crept toward it, we heard movement from behind it; a low moan, and then a deep, loud purring. We exchanged a last look, a last nod.

Wand held tightly before me, I moved to open the door, but before I could do so, Kat had kicked it wide open. I looked at her in surprise but now wasn't the time to discuss her definition of stealth. I held my wand out as Hermione and I followed her into the room.

On a magnificent four-poster bed with dusty hangings lay Crookshanks, purring loudly at the sight of us. On the floor beside him, clutching his leg, which stuck out at a strange angle, was Ron.

Hermione, Kat, and I dashed across to him.

"Ron—are you okay?"

"Where's the dog?"

"Not a dog," Ron moaned. His teeth were gritted with pain. "Harry, Kat, it's a trap—"

"What—"

"He's the dog...he's an Animagus..."

Ron was staring over my shoulder. I wheeled around. With a snap, the man in the shadows closed the door behind us.

A mass of filthy, matted hair hung to his elbows. If eyes hadn't been shining out of the deep, dark sockets, he might have been a corpse. The waxy skin was stretched so tightly over the bones of his face, it looked like a skull. His yellow teeth were bared in a grin. It was Sirius Black.

"Expelliarmus!" he croaked, pointing Ron's wand at us.

Two wands shot high in the air, and Black caught them. Then he took a step closer. His eyes were fixed on Kat and I.

"I thought you'd come and help your friend," he said hoarsely. His voice sounded as though he had long since lost the habit of using it. "James and Eliana would have done the same for me. Brave of you, not to run for a teacher. I'm grateful...it will make everything much easier..."

The taunt about my father rang in my ears as though Black had bellowed it. A boiling hate erupted in my chest, leaving no place for fear. For the first time in my life, I wanted my wand back in my hand, not to defend myself, but to attack...to kill. Without knowing what I was doing, I started forward, but there was a sudden movement on either side of me and two pairs of hands grabbed me and held me back..."No, Harry!" Hermione gasped in a petrified whisper; Ron, however, spoke to Black.

"If you want to kill Harry and Kat, you'll have to kill us too!" he said fiercely, though the effort of standing upright was draining him of still more color, and he swayed slightly as he spoke.

Something flickered in Black's shadowed eyes.

"Lie down," he said quietly to Ron. "You will damage that leg even more."

"Did you hear me?" Ron said weakly, though he was clinging painfully to me to stay upright. "You'll have to kill all four of us!"

"There'll be only one murder here tonight," said Black, and his grin widened.

"Why's that?" I spat, trying to wrench myself free of Ron and Hermione. I noticed out of the corner of my eye that Kat had frozen where she stood; glaring at Sirius with just as much hatred as I was. "Didn't care last time, did you? Didn't mind slaughtering all those Muggles to get at Pettigrew...What's the matter, gone soft in Azkaban?"

"Harry!" Hermione whimpered. "Be quiet!"

"HE KILLED MY MUM AND DAD!" I roared, and with a huge effort I broke free of Hermione's and Ron's restraint and lunged forward—

I had forgotten about magic—I forgot that I was short and skinny and thirteen, whereas Black was a tall, full-grown man—all I knew was that I wanted to hurt Black as badly as I could and that I didn't care how much I got hurt in return—

Perhaps it was the shock of me doing something so stupid, but Black didn't raise the wands in time—one of my hands fastened over his wasted wrist, forcing the wand tips away; the knuckles of my other hand collided with the side of Black's head and we fell, backward, into the wall—

Hermione was screaming; Ron was yelling; Kat was still standing there unsure of what to do; there was a blinding flash as the wands in Black's hand sent a jet of sparks into the air that missed my face by inches; I felt the shrunken arm under my fingers twisting madly, but I clung on, my other hand punching every part of Black I could find.

But Black's free hand had found my throat—

"No," he hissed, "I've waited too long—"

The fingers tightened, I choked, my glasses askew.

Then I saw Kat finally spring to action as her foot swing out of nowhere. Black let go of me with a grunt of pain; Ron had thrown himself on Black's wand hand and I heard a faint clatter—

I fought free of the tangle of bodies and saw my own wand rolling across the floor; I threw himself toward it but—

"Argh!"

Crookshanks had joined the fray; both sets of front claws had sunk themselves deep into my arm; I threw him off, but Crookshanks now darted toward my wand—

"NO YOU DON'T!" I roared, and I aimed a kick at Crookshanks that sent the cat flying across the room, spitting; I snatched up my wand and turned—

"Get out of the way!" I shouted at Ron, Hermione, and Kat.

They didn't need telling twice. Hermione, gasping for breath, her lip bleeding, scrambled aside, snatching up her and Ron's wands. Ron crawled to the four-poster and collapsed onto it, panting, his white face now tinged with green, both hands clutching his broken leg. Kat came over to stand by my side; her wand in her hand as well. Neither of us noticed Crookshanks slinking back over to us.

Black was sprawled at the bottom of the wall. His thin chest rose and fell rapidly as he watched Kat and I walking slowly nearer, our wands pointing straight at Black's heart.

"You two going to kill me?" he whispered.

Kat and I stopped right above him, our wands still pointing at Black's chest, looking down at him. A livid bruise was rising around Black's left eye and his nose was bleeding.

"You killed my parents...and Kat's mum - your own wife," I said, my voice shaking slightly, but my wand hand quite steady.

Black stared up at us out of those sunken eyes.

"I don't deny it," he said very quietly. "But if you knew the whole story."

"The whole story?" I repeated, a furious pounding in my ears. "You sold them to Voldemort. That's all we need to know."

"You've got to listen to me," Black said, and there was a note of urgency in his voice now. "You'll regret it if you don't...You don't understand..."

"We understand a lot better than you think," Kat and I said at the same time.

"You never heard them, did you? Our mums...trying to stop Voldemort killing us...and you did that...you did it..."

Katrina's POV

Before anyone could say another word, something ginger streaked past me; Crookshanks leapt onto Black's chest and settled himself there, right over Black's heart. Black blinked and looked down at the cat.

"Get off," he murmured, trying to push Crookshanks off him.

But Crookshanks sank his claws into Black's robes and wouldn't shift. He turned his ugly, squashed face to Harry and looked up at him with those great big eyes. To our right, Hermione gave a dry sob. As I looked closer at Crookshanks I realized that something was off and as he finally turned his eyes to look at me...I saw what it was...his eyes weren't their normal yellow, they were blue - blue like mine - exactly like mine...how was that even possible?

I stared down at Black and Crookshanks, my grip tightening on the wand as I looked at them in confusion.

I saw Harry raise his wand. He was going to kill Black. Did I want him to? This was my father after all, shouldn't I stop Harry? But after everything he had done, Black deserved to die! I couldn't deny that. There was a very large part of me that wanted to kill him myself. But as I stared at Crookshanks, I felt myself freeze up again.

The seconds lengthened. And still Harry and I stood frozen there, wands poised, Black staring up at us, Crookshanks on his chest. Ron's ragged breathing came from near the bed; Hermione was quite silent.

And then came a new sound—

Muffled footsteps were echoing up through the floor—someone was moving downstairs.

"WE'RE UP HERE!" Hermione screamed suddenly. "WE'RE UP HERE—SIRIUS BLACK—QUICK!"

Black made a startled movement that almost dislodged Crookshanks; I gripped my wand convulsively—Do it now! said a voice in my head—but the footsteps were thundering up the stairs and neither of us had done it.

The door of the room burst open in a shower of red sparks and I wheeled around as Professor Lupin came hurtling into the room, his face bloodless, his wand raised and ready. His eyes flickered over Ron, lying on the floor, over Hermione, cowering next to the door, to Harry and I, standing there with our wands covering Black, and then to Black himself, crumpled and bleeding at our feet.

"Expelliarmus!" Lupin shouted.

Harry's wand flew once more out of his hand; so did the two Hermione was holding - I instinctively held mine tightly in anticipation, but just like when Sirius had cast the incantation, my wand made no move to leave my possession. How strange.

Lupin caught the other wands and I discretely slipped mine back into my boot where I could easily reach it if I needed to as we all watched Lupin move into the room, staring at Black, who still had Crookshanks lying protectively across his chest. I glanced at the cat again, still not sure what to make of his eyes - my eyes? I shook my head to clear it and refocused on Lupin as he spoke.

"Where is he, Sirius?"

I looked quickly at Lupin. I didn't understand what Lupin meant. Who was Lupin talking about? I turned to look at Black again.

Black's face was quite expressionless. For a few seconds, he didn't move at all. Then, very slowly, he raised his empty hand and pointed straight at Ron. Mystified, Harry and I glanced around at Ron, who looked bewildered.

"But then...," Lupin muttered, staring at Black so intently it seemed he was trying to read his mind, "...why hasn't he shown himself before now? Unless"—Lupin's eyes suddenly widened, as though he was seeing something beyond Black, something none of us could see, "—unless he was the one...unless you switched...without telling me?"

Very slowly, his sunken gaze never leaving Lupin's face, Black nodded.

"Professor," Harry interrupted loudly, "what's going on—?"

But he never finished the question, because what we saw made his voice die in his throat. Lupin was lowering his wand, gazing fixedly at Black. The Professor walked to Black's side, seized his hand, pulled him to his feet so that Crookshanks fell to the floor, and embraced Black like a brother.

Harry's POV

I felt as though the bottom had dropped out of my stomach.

"I DON'T BELIEVE IT!" Hermione screamed.

Lupin let go of Black and turned to her. She had raised herself off the floor and was pointing at Lupin, wild-eyed. "You—you—"

"Hermione—"

"—you and him!"

"Hermione, calm down—"

"We didn't tell anyone!" Hermione shrieked. "Kat and I, we've been covering up for you—"

"Hermione, listen to me, please!" Lupin shouted. "I can explain—"

I could feel myself shaking, not with fear, but with a fresh wave of fury.

"I trusted you," I shouted at Lupin, my voice wavering out of control, "and all the time you've been his friend!"

"You're wrong," said Lupin. "I haven't been Sirius's friend, but I am now—Let me explain..."

"NO!" Hermione screamed. "Harry, Kat, don't trust him, he's been helping Black get into the castle, he wants you dead too—he's a werewolf!"

There was a ringing silence. Everyone's eyes were now on Lupin, who looked remarkably calm, though rather pale.

"Not at all up to your usual standard, Hermione," he said. "Only one out of three, I'm afraid. I have not been helping Sirius get into the castle and I certainly don't want Harry or Kat dead..." An odd shiver passed over his face. "But I won't deny that I am a werewolf."

Ron made a valiant effort to get up again but fell back with a whimper of pain. Lupin made toward him, looking concerned, but Ron gasped,

"Get away from me, werewolf!"

Lupin stopped dead. Then, with an obvious effort, he turned to Hermione and said, "How long have you known?"

"She's known as long as I have, Professor. Since we did Professor Snape's essay..." Kat explained quietly.

"He'll be delighted," said Lupin coolly. "He assigned that essay hoping someone would realize what my symptoms meant...Did you check the lunar chart and realize that I was always ill at the full moon? Or did you realize that the boggart changed into the moon when it saw me?"

"Both," Hermione said equally quiet as Kat.

Lupin forced a laugh.

"You two are the cleverest witches of your age I've ever met."

"I'm not," Hermione whispered. "If I'd been a bit cleverer, I'd have told everyone what you are!"

"But they already know," said Lupin. "At least, the staff do."

"Dumbledore hired you when he knew you were a werewolf?" Ron gasped. "Is he mad?"

"Some of the staff thought so," said Lupin. "He had to work very hard to convince certain teachers that I'm trustworthy—"

"AND HE WAS WRONG!" I yelled. "YOU'VE BEEN HELPING HIM ALL THE TIME!" I was pointing at Black, who suddenly crossed to the four-poster bed and sank onto it, his face hidden in one shaking hand. Crookshanks leapt up beside him and stepped onto his lap, purring. Ron edged away from both of them, dragging his leg.

"I have not been helping Sirius," said Lupin. "If you'll give me a chance, I'll explain. Look—"

He separated Ron's, Hermione's, and my wands and threw each back to its owner; I caught mine, too stunned to notice that Kat's had been missing from his collection.

"There," said Lupin, sticking his own wand back into his belt. "You're armed, we're not. Now will you listen?"

I didn't know what to think. Was it a trick?

"If you haven't been helping him," I said, with a furious glance at Black, "how did you know he was here?"

"The map," said Lupin. "The Marauder's Map. I was in my office examining it—"

"You know how to work it?" I said suspiciously.

"Of course I know how to work it," said Lupin, waving his hand impatiently. "I helped write it. I'm Moony—that was my friends' nickname for me at school."

"You wrote—?"

"The important thing is, I was watching it carefully this evening, because I had an idea that you, Ron, Hermione, and Kat might try and sneak out of the castle to visit Hagrid before his hippogriff was executed. And I was right, wasn't I?"

He had started to pace up and down, looking at us. Little patches of dust rose at his feet.

"You might have been wearing your father's old cloak, Harry—"

"How d'you know about the cloak?"

"The number of times I saw James disappearing under it...," said Lupin, waving an impatient hand again. "The point is, even if you're wearing an Invisibility Cloak, you still show up on the Marauder's Map. I watched you cross the grounds and enter Hagrid's hut. Twenty minutes later, you left Hagrid, and set off back toward the castle. But you were now accompanied by somebody else."

"What?" I said. "No, we weren't!"

"I couldn't believe my eyes," said Lupin, still pacing, and ignoring my interruption. "I thought the map must be malfunctioning. How could he be with you?"

"No one was with us!" I said.

"And then I saw another dot, moving fast toward you, labeled Sirius Black...I saw him collide with you; I watched as he pulled two of you into the Whomping Willow—"

"One of us!" Ron said angrily.

"No, Ron," said Lupin. "Two of you."

He had stopped his pacing, his eyes moving over Ron.

"Do you think I could have a look at the rat?" he said evenly.

"What?" said Ron. "What's Scabbers got to do with it?"

"Everything," said Lupin. "Could I see him, please?"

Ron hesitated, then put a hand inside his robes. Scabbers emerged, thrashing desperately; Ron had to seize his long bald tail to stop him escaping. Crookshanks stood up on Black's leg and made a soft hissing noise. He made to jump at Scabbers once more but Black held onto him tightly, a protective gleam in his eyes. I glanced curiously at yet another sign of familiarity between the two but my focus shifted to Lupin as he moved closer to Ron. He seemed to be holding his breath as he gazed intently at Scabbers.

"What?" Ron said again, holding Scabbers close to him, looking scared. "What's my rat got to do with anything?"

"That's not a rat," croaked Sirius Black suddenly.

"What d'you mean—of course he's a rat—"

"No, he's not," said Lupin quietly. "He's a wizard."

"An Animagus," said Black, "by the name of Peter Pettigrew."

(AN - hey everyone! I apologize if this or the next chapter seem a little dull - I'm trying too put as much spin on it as possible but I've always like the Sirius reveal the way it was written - and obviously you can't say too much without revealing everything but I promise there will be more original stuff in the following chapters! Let me know what you guys think is going on with Crookshanks :p I already have a pretty clear idea of what it will be but if I see something that catches my interest I'm more than happy to add additional changes - just going with the flow right now)


	18. Mooney, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs...and Aquila

(AN - OMG guys/gals! The guesses that I have gotten so far; while incorrect, yet totally awesome alternatives, made me come up with the most incredibly awesomest and sweetest plot twist ever! And what's even more fantastical about it, is that I came up with the building blocks separately and it just happened to work out that everything magically fit like puzzle pieces! It all just suddenly came together I'm so excited! Y'all will love it. Unless you're crazy insane people! - the title of this chapter will be revealed in the next one!)

Katrina's POV

It took a few seconds for the absurdity of this statement to sink in. Then Ron voiced what we were thinking.

"You're both mental."

"Ridiculous!" said Hermione faintly.

"Peter Pettigrew's dead!" said Harry. "He killed him twelve years ago!" He pointed at Black, whose face twitched convulsively.

"I meant to," he growled, his yellow teeth bared, "but little Peter got the better of me...not this time, though!"

Black carefully pried Crookshanks off of him, set the ginger cat down on the bed tenderly, then suddenly lunged at Scabbers; Ron yelled with pain as Black's weight fell on his broken leg.

"Sirius, NO!" Lupin yelled, launching himself forwards and dragging Black away from Ron again, "WAIT! You can't do it just like that—they need to understand—we've got to explain—"

"We can explain afterwards!" snarled Black, trying to throw Lupin off. One hand was still clawing the air as it tried to reach Scabbers, who was squealing like a piglet, scratching Ron's face and neck as he tried to escape. I looked back and forth from Crookshanks to Black, trying to understand it all. How could someone so cruel and merciless be capable of showing such kindness? And why were they all so fixated on Ron's rat!

"They've—got—a—right—to—know—everything!" Lupin panted, still trying to restrain Black. "Ron's kept him as a pet! There are parts of it even I don't understand! Harry and Kat! You owe them the truth, Sirius!"

Black stopped struggling, though his hollowed eyes were still fixed on Scabbers, who was clamped tightly under Ron's bitten, scratched, and bleeding hands.

"All right, then," Black said, without taking his eyes off the rat. "Tell them whatever you like. But make it quick, Remus. I want to commit the murder I was imprisoned for..."

"You're nutters, both of you," said Ron shakily, looking round at Harry, Hermione, and I for support. "I've had enough of this. I'm off."

He tried to heave himself up on his good leg, but Lupin raised his wand again, pointing it at Scabbers.

"You're going to hear me out, Ron," he said quietly. "Just keep a tight hold on Peter while you listen."

"HE'S NOT PETER, HE'S SCABBERS!" Ron yelled, trying to force the rat back into his front pocket, but Scabbers was fighting too hard; Ron swayed and overbalanced, and Harry caught him and pushed him back down to the bed. Then, ignoring Black, Harry turned to Lupin.

"There were witnesses who saw Pettigrew die," he said.

"A whole street full of them..." I added pointedly.

"They didn't see what they thought they saw!" said Black savagely, still watching Scabbers struggling in Ron's hands. I noticed Crookshanks eyeing the rat with equal intensity and stopped down to pick him up. I expected to be scratched for my efforts but instead, he purred loudly and curled up in my arms.

"Everyone thought Sirius killed Peter," said Lupin, nodding. "I believed it myself—until I saw the map tonight. Because the Marauder's map never lies...Peter's alive. Ron's holding him."

Harry and I looked down at Ron, and as our eyes met, we agreed, silently: Black and Lupin were both out of their minds. Their story made no sense whatsoever. How could Scabbers be Peter Pettigrew? Azkaban must have unhinged Black after all—but why was Lupin playing along with him? Despite him being friends with Black, I instinctively knew Lupin would never harm Harry or I no mater what Hermione thought. But why was he siding with Black on this? Was it just a ruse? Was he simply biding his time until help arrived?

I looked down at Crookshanks as I felt something brush my arms repeatedly. It was his tail - swinging back and forth with a gentle flick each time, his eyes still following Scabbers' every move.

Then Hermione spoke, in a trembling, would-be calm sort of voice, as though trying to will Professor Lupin to talk sensibly.

"But Professor Lupin...Scabbers can't be Pettigrew...it just can't be true, you know it can't..."

"Why can't it be true?" Lupin said calmly, as though we were in class, and Hermione had simply spotted a problem in an experiment with grindylows.

"Because...because people would know if Peter Pettigrew had been an Animagus -" Hermione started to explain.

"Yeah, we did Animagi in class with Professor McGonagall. And we looked them up when we did our homework—" I spoke up as I understood what Hermione was getting at.

"- the Ministry of Magic keeps tabs on witches and wizards who can become animals; there's a register showing what animal they become, and their markings and things..." Hermione continued.

"We went and looked Professor McGonagall up on the register, and there have been only seven Animagi this century, and Pettigrew's name wasn't on the list—" I suddenly paused as I realized that I was an unregistered Animagus myself...if it was possible for me to escape the Ministry's notice, then it certainly was plausible that there were other unregistered Animagi.

"Right again! " he said. "But the Ministry never knew that there used to be four unregistered Animagi running around Hogwarts."

"If you're going to tell them the story, get a move on, Remus," snarled Black, who was still watching Scabbers's every desperate move. "I've waited twelve years, I'm not going to wait much longer."

"All right...but you'll need to help me, Sirius," said Lupin, "I only know how it began..."

Lupin broke off. There had been a loud creak behind him. The bedroom door had opened of its own accord. All six of us stared at it. Then Lupin strode toward it and looked out into the landing.

"No one there..."

"This place is haunted!" said Ron.

"It's not," said Lupin, still looking at the door in a puzzled way. "The Shrieking Shack was never haunted... The screams and howls the villagers used to hear were made by me."

He pushed his graying hair out of his eyes, thought for a moment, then said, "That's where all of this starts—with my becoming a werewolf. None of this could have happened if I hadn't been bitten...and if I hadn't been so foolhardy..."

He looked sober and tired. Ron started to interrupt, but Hermione and I said, "Shh!" We were both watching Lupin very intently.

"I was a very small boy when I received the bite. My parents tried everything, but in those days there was no cure. The potion that Professor Snape has been making for me is a very recent discovery. It makes me safe, you see. As long as I take it in the week preceding the full moon, I keep my mind when I transform...I am able to curl up in my office, a harmless wolf, and wait for the moon to wane again.

"Before the Wolfsbane Potion was discovered, however, I became a fully fledged monster once a month. It seemed impossible that I would be able to come to Hogwarts. Other parents weren't likely to want their children exposed to me.

"But then Dumbledore became Headmaster, and he was sympathetic. He said that as long as we took certain precautions, there was no reason I shouldn't come to school..." Lupin sighed, and looked directly at Harry and I. "I told you, months ago, that the Whomping Willow was planted the year I came to Hogwarts. The truth is that it was planted because I came to Hogwarts. This house"—Lupin looked miserably around the room,—"the tunnel that leads to it—they were built for my use. Once a month, I was smuggled out of the castle, into this place, to transform. The tree was placed at the tunnel mouth to stop anyone coming across me while I was dangerous."

I couldn't see where this story was going, but I was listening raptly all the same. The only sound apart from Lupin's voice was Scabbers's frightened squeaking and the low hum of Crookshanks' purr.

"My transformations in those days were—were terrible. It is very painful to turn into a werewolf. I was separated from humans to bite, so I bit and scratched myself instead. The villagers heard the noise and the screaming and thought they were hearing particularly violent spirits. Dumbledore encouraged the rumor...Even now, when the house has been silent for years, the villagers don't dare approach it...

"But apart from my transformations, I was happier than I had ever been in my life. For the first time ever, I had friends, four great friends. Sirius Black...Peter Pettigrew...James Potter and Eliana Dumbledore.

"Now, my four friends could hardly fail to notice that I disappeared once a month. I made up all sorts of stories. I told them my mother was ill, and that I had to go home to see her...I was terrified they would desert me the moment they found out what I was. But of course, they, like you, Hermione and Kat, worked out the truth...it was actually Eliana who first found out. I'll never forget the kindness she showed me. She was eventually able to convince me to tell the others.

"And they didn't desert me at all. Instead, they did something for me that would make my transformations not only bearable, but the best times of my life. They became Animagi."

"My dad too?" said Harry, astounded.

"My mum was an Animagus?" I blurted out at the same time.

"Yes, indeed," said Lupin. "It took them the best part of three years to work out how to do it. Eliana, James, and Sirius were the cleverest students in the school, and lucky they were, because the Animagus transformation can go horribly wrong—one reason the Ministry keeps a close watch on those attempting to do it. Peter needed all the help he could get from James and Sirius. Finally, in our fifth year, they managed it. They could each turn into a different animal at will."

"But how did that help you?" said Hermione, sounding puzzled.

"They couldn't keep me company as humans, so they kept me company as animals," said Lupin. "A werewolf is only a danger to people. They sneaked out of the castle every month under James's Invisibility Cloak. They transformed...Peter, as the smallest, could slip beneath the Willow's attacking branches and touch the knot that freezes it. They would then slip down the tunnel and join me. Under their influence, I became less dangerous. My body was still wolfish, but my mind seemed to become less so while I was with them."

"Hurry up, Remus," snarled Black, who was still watching Scabbers with a horrible sort of hunger on his face.

"I'm getting there, Sirius, I'm getting there...well, highly exciting possibilities were open to us now that we could all transform. Soon we were leaving the Shrieking Shack and roaming the school grounds and the village by night. Sirius and James transformed into such large animals, they were able to keep a werewolf in check and Eliana was able to use her form to keep a watch on us. Though she was not happy about it and eventually refused to join in on our foolish escapades. I doubt whether any Hogwarts students ever found out more about the Hogwarts grounds and Hogsmeade than we did...And that's how we came to write the Marauder's Map, and sign it with our nicknames. Sirius is Padfoot. Peter is Wormtail. James was Prongs."

"What sort of animal—?" Harry began, but Hermione cut him off.

"Eliana was right, that was really dangerous! Running around in the dark with a werewolf! What if you'd given the others the slip, and bitten somebody?"

"A thought that still haunts me," said Lupin heavily. "And there were near misses, many of them. We laughed about them afterwards. We were young, thoughtless—carried away with our own cleverness."

"I sometimes felt guilty about betraying Dumbledore's trust, of course...he had admitted me to Hogwarts when no other headmaster would have done so, and he had no idea I was breaking the rules he had set down for my own and others' safety. He never knew I had led four fellow students into becoming Animagi illegally. But I always managed to forget my guilty feelings every time we sat down to plan our next month's adventure. And I haven't changed...

Lupin's face had hardened, and there was self-disgust in his voice. "All this year, I have been battling with myself, wondering whether I should tell Dumbledore that Sirius was an Animagus. But I didn't do it. Why? Because I was too cowardly. It would have meant admitting that I'd betrayed his trust while I was at school, admitting that I'd led others along with me...his own daughter...and Dumbledore's trust has meant everything to me. He let me into Hogwarts as a boy, and he gave me a job when I have been shunned all my adult life, unable to find paid work because of what I am. And so I convinced myself that Sirius was getting into the school using dark arts he learned from Voldemort, that being an Animagus had nothing to do with it...so, in a way, Snape's been right about me all along."

"Snape?" said Black harshly, taking his eyes off Scabbers for the first time in minutes and looking up at Lupin. "What's Snape got to do with it?"

"He's here, Sirius," said Lupin heavily. "He's teaching here as well." He looked up at Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

"Professor Snape was at school with us. He fought very hard against my appointment to the Defense Against the Dark Arts job. He has been telling Dumbledore all year that I am not to be trusted. He has his reasons...you see, Sirius here played a trick on him which nearly killed him, a trick which involved me—"

Black made a derisive noise.

"It served him right," he sneered. "Sneaking around, trying to find out what we were up to...hoping he could get us expelled..."

"Severus was very interested in where I went every month." Lupin told Harry, Ron, Hermione, and I. "We were in the same year, you know, and we—er—didn't like each other very much. He especially disliked James. Jealous, I think, of James's talent on the Quidditch field and all the time Eliana started spending with us at - they were best friends...anyway Snape had seen me crossing the grounds with Madam Pomfrey one evening as she led me toward the Whomping Willow to transform. Sirius thought it would be—er—amusing, to tell Snape all he had to do was prod the knot on the tree trunk with a long stick, and he'd be able to get in after me. Well, of course, Snape tried it—if he'd got as far as this house, he'd have met a fully grown werewolf—but James and Eliana, who'd heard what Sirius had done, went after Snape and pulled him back, at great risk to their lives...Snape glimpsed me, though, at the end of the tunnel. He was forbidden by Dumbledore to tell anybody, but from that time on he knew what I was..."

"So that's why Snape doesn't like you," said Harry slowly, "because he thought you were in on the joke?"

"That's right," sneered a cold voice from the wall behind Lupin.

I looked over in surprise to see that my godfather was pulling off the Invisibility Cloak, his wand pointing directly at Lupin.


	19. The Servant of Lord Voldemort

Katrina's POV

"Expelliarmus!"

Hermione screamed as wands soared into the air once more. Black leapt to his feet. I stood still but glanced at Harry in shock.

"I found this at the base of the Whomping Willow," said Sev, throwing the cloak aside, careful to keep his own wand pointing directly at Lupin's chest. "Very useful, Potter, I thank you..."

My godfather was slightly breathless, but his face was full of suppressed triumph. "You're wondering, perhaps, how I knew you were here?" he said, his eyes glittering. "I've just been to your office, Lupin. You forgot to take your potion tonight, so I took a gobletful along. And very lucky I did... lucky for me, I mean. Lying on your desk was a certain map. One glance at it told me all I needed to know. I saw you running along this passageway and out of sight."

"Severus—" Lupin began, but Snape overrode him.

"I've told the headmaster again and again that you were helping your old friend Black into the castle, Lupin, and here's the proof. Not even I dreamed you would have the nerve to use this old place as your hideout—"

"Severus, you're making a mistake," said Lupin urgently. "You haven't heard everything—I can explain—Sirius is not here to kill Harry or Kat—"

"Two more for Azkaban tonight," said Sev, his eyes now gleaming fanatically. "I shall be interested to see how Dumbledore takes this...He was quite convinced you were harmless, you know, Lupin...a tame werewolf—" I gasped as Crookshanks caught me unawares as he tried to leap out of my arms. I held on tight as the cat struggled in my arms and scratched me as I looked at my godfather, surprised by the icy tone in his voice.

"You fool," said Lupin softly. "Is a schoolboy grudge worth putting an innocent man back inside Azkaban?" I yelped as Crookshanks finally managed to escape and landed with a triumphant yowl before dashing off towards Lupin and Sev.

BANG! Thin, snakelike cords burst from the end of Snape's wand and twisted themselves around Lupin's mouth, wrists, and ankles; he overbalanced and fell to the floor, unable to move. With a roar of rage, Black started toward Snape, but Snape pointed his wand straight between Black's eyes.

"Give me a reason," he whispered. "Give me a reason to do it, and I swear I will."

Black stopped dead. It would have been impossible to say which face showed more hatred. The ginger cat once again flew into the air to land on Black's chest. He quickly pulled the cat into a more comfortable position in his arms, never breaking his gaze with my godfather.

Harry and I stood there, paralyzed, not knowing what to do or whom to believe. I glanced around at Ron and Hermione. Ron looked just as confused as Harry and I did, still fighting to keep hold on the struggling Scabbers. Hermione, however, took an uncertain step toward Sev and said, in a very breathless voice, "Professor Snape—it—it wouldn't hurt to hear what they've got to say, w—would it?"

"Miss Granger, you are already facing suspension from this school," Snape spat. "You, Potter, and Weasley are out-of-bounds, in the company of a convicted murderer and a werewolf. For once in your life, hold your tongue." Once again I noticed how he failed to mention my name. Why did he always do that? It was like he thought not saying my name meant that I wasn't just as guilty as my friends. How absurd!

"But if—if there was a mistake—"

"KEEP QUIET, YOU STUPID GIRL!" Severus shouted, looking suddenly quite deranged. "DON'T TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!" A few sparks shot out of the end of his wand, which was still pointed at Black's face. Hermione fell silent.

Crookshanks hissed loudly at the same time as I stepped forward, angry that my godfather was speaking to my best friend in such a manner. But he began to speak again before I could shout at him.

"Vengeance is very sweet," Snape breathed at Black. "How I hoped I would be the one to catch you..."

"The joke's on you again, Severus," Black snarled. "As long as this boy brings his rat up to the castle"—he jerked his head at Ron—"I'll come quietly..."

"Up to the castle?" said Snape silkily. "I don't think we need to go that far. All I have to do is call the dementors once we get out of the Willow. They'll be very pleased to see you, Black...pleased enough to give you a little kiss, I daresay..."

What little color there was in Black's face left it. Hermione's cat hissed loudly again and I saw Black hug him tightly and stroke his head comfortingly.

"You—you've got to hear me out," he croaked. "The rat—look at the rat—"

But there was a mad glint in Sev's eyes that I had never seen before. He seemed beyond reason.

"Come on, all of you," he said. He clicked his fingers, and the ends of the cords that bound Lupin flew to his hands. "I'll drag the werewolf. Perhaps the dementors will have a kiss for him too—"

As Crookshanks yowled angrily again, I reached down towards my boot. Before I knew what I knew what I was doing, I had pulled my wand out from where it had remained in spite of Sev's spell and held it behind my back as Harry and I crossed the room in three strides and blocked the door.

"Get out of the way, Potter, Katrina. You're in enough trouble already young lady," snarled Sev. "If I hadn't been here to save your skins—"

"Professor Lupin could have killed us about a hundred times this year," I said. "We've been alone with him loads of times, having defense lessons. If he was helping Black, why didn't he just finish us off then?"

"Don't ask me to fathom the way a werewolf's mind works," hissed Snape. "Get out of the way!" I glared at my godfather and stood firmly where I was, not planning to move anytime soon.

"YOU'RE PATHETIC!" Harry yelled from beside me. "JUST BECAUSE THEY MADE A FOOL OF YOU AT SCHOOL YOU WON'T EVEN LISTEN—"

"SILENCE! I WILL NOT BE SPOKEN TO LIKE THAT!" Snape shrieked, looking madder than ever. "Like father, like son, Potter! I have just saved your neck; you should be thanking me on bended knee! You would have been well served if he'd killed you! You'd have died like your father, too arrogant to believe you might be mistaken in Black—now get out of the way, or I will make you. GET OUT OF THE WAY, POTTER!"

I was about to go against my previous statement and move once more - so as to stand in front of Harry, when an orangey blur rushed past and got there before me. We all watched anxiously as Snape considered Hermione's cat, his wand still raised.

"Sev...you have to let them explain...please?" I cried out when the silence had grown unbearable. My godfather was so busy staring into the ginger cat's eyes that I wasn't sure if he heard me though. His hand seemed to falter as he looked at the cat, but as his eyes fell back to Sirius, they hardened once more and he raised his wand higher.

I made up my mind in a split second. Before Sev could take even one step toward us, I had raised my wand.

"Expelliarmus!" I yelled. There was a blast that made the door rattle on its hinges; my godfather was lifted off his feet and slammed into the wall, then slid down it to the floor, a trickle of blood oozing from under his hair. He had been knocked out.

I ran towards him as I caught the bundle of wands, horrified by what I had done.

"You shouldn't have done that," said Black, looking at me. "You should have left him to me..."

"Oh, yeah...because you totally would have been able to take Sev on without your wand," I said, rolling my eyes but refused to look at the man as I handed Ron, Hermione, and Harry back their wands.

I avoided Black's eyes and released Lupin from his bonds and handed him his wand as well. I wasn't sure, even now, that I'd done the right thing.

"You attacked a teacher...You attacked a teacher...," Hermione whimpered, staring at the lifeless Snape with frightened eyes. "Oh, we're going to be in so much trouble—" No, I attacked my godfather, I thought to myself, still horrified by what I had done.

"Thank you, Kat," Lupin said as I helped him up off the ground.

"I'm still not saying I believe you," I told Lupin.

"Then it's time we offered you all some proof," said Lupin. "You, boy—give me Peter, please. Now."

Ron clutched Scabbers closer to his chest.

"Come off it," he said weakly. "Are you trying to say he broke out of Azkaban just to get his hands on Scabbers? I mean..." He looked up at Harry, Hermione, and I for support, "Okay, say Pettigrew could turn into a rat—there are millions of rats—how's he supposed to know which one he's after if he was locked up in Azkaban?"

"You know, Sirius, that's a fair question," said Lupin, turning to Black and frowning slightly. "How did you find out where he was?"

Black put one of his clawlike hands inside his robes and took out a crumpled piece of paper, which he smoothed flat and held out to show us.

It was the photograph of Ron and his family that had appeared in the Daily Prophet the previous summer, and there, on Ron's shoulder, was Scabbers.

"How did you get this?" Lupin asked Black, thunderstruck.

"Fudge," said Black. "When he came to inspect Azkaban last year, he gave me his paper. And there was Peter, on the front page...on this boy's shoulder...I knew him at once...how many times had I seen him transform? And the caption said the boy would be going back to Hogwarts...to where Harry and Kat were..."

"My God," said Lupin softly, staring from Scabbers to the picture in the paper and back again. "His front paw..."

"What about it?" said Ron defiantly.

"He's got a toe missing," said Black.

"Of course," Lupin breathed. "So simple...so brilliant...he cut it off himself?"

"Just before he transformed," said Black. "When I cornered him, he yelled for the whole street to hear that I'd betrayed Lily, James, and Eliana. Then, before I could curse him, he blew apart the street with the wand behind his back, killed everyone within twenty feet of himself—and sped down into the sewer with the other rats...

"Didn't you ever hear, Ron?" said Lupin. "The biggest bit of Peter they found was his finger."

"Look, Scabbers probably had a fight with another rat or something! He's been in my family for ages, right—"

"Twelve years, in fact," said Lupin. "Didn't you ever wonder why he was living so long?"

"We—we've been taking good care of him!" said Ron.

"Not looking too good at the moment, though, is he?" said Lupin. "I'd guess he's been losing weight ever since he heard Sirius was on the loose again..."

"He's been scared of that mad cat!" said Ron, nodding toward Crookshanks, who was back in Blacks arms and purring softly.

But that wasn't right, I thought suddenly...Scabbers had been looking ill before he met Crookshanks...ever since Ron's return from Egypt...Harry had told me they'd had him checked out over the summer - which would have been around the time when Black had escaped...

"This cat isn't mad," said Black hoarsely. He reached out a bony hand and stroked Crookshanks's fluffy head. As he looked from the cat to me, I could have sworn he winked, but I ignored it; attributing it to a trick of the light.

"He's the most intelligent of his kind I've ever met. He recognized Peter for what he was right away. And when he met me, he knew I was no dog. It was a while before he trusted me...Finally, I managed to communicate to him what I was after, and he's been helping me..."

"What do you mean?" breathed Hermione.

"He tried to bring Peter to me, but couldn't...so he stole the passwords into Gryffindor Tower for me...As I understand it, he took them from a boy's bedside table..."

My brain seemed to be sagging under the weight of what we were hearing. Poor Neville. It was absurd...and yet...

"But Peter got wind of what was going on and ran for it..." croaked Black. "This cat—Crookshanks, did you call him?—told me Peter had left blood on the sheets...I supposed he bit himself... Well, faking his own death had worked once..." (anyone else wonder how the cat told him? Lol nowhere else in the books does it mention cats speaking - Aragog, and the Centaurs sure, but not cats lol - so did he act it out cat theatre style or something? Lmao just food for thought)

These words jolted Harry out of his silence, but I stayed quiet.

"And why did he fake his death?" he said furiously. "Because he knew you were about to kill him like you killed our parents!"

"No," said Lupin, "Harry—"

"And now you've come to finish him off!"

"Yes, I have," said Black, with an evil look at Scabbers.

"Then Kat should've let Snape take you!" Harry shouted. I frowned, still not sure who to believe.

"Harry, Kat," said Lupin hurriedly, "don't you see? All this time we've thought Sirius betrayed your parents, and Peter tracked him down—but it was the other way around, don't you see? Peter betrayed Lilly, James, and Eliana—Sirius tracked Peter down—"

"THAT'S NOT TRUE!" Harry yelled. "HE WAS THEIR SECRET-KEEPER! HE SAID SO BEFORE YOU TURNED UP. HE SAID HE KILLED THEM!"

He was pointing at Black, who shook his head slowly; the sunken eyes were suddenly overbright.

"...I as good as killed them," he croaked. "I persuaded Lily, James, and my wife to change to Peter at the last moment, persuaded them to use him as Secret-Keeper instead of me...I'm to blame, I know it...The night they died, I'd arranged to check on Peter, make sure he was still safe, but when I arrived at his hiding place, he'd gone. Yet there was no sign of a struggle. It didn't feel right. I was scared. I set out for your parents' house straight away. We had decided it would be easier for everyone if Eliana and Kat stayed at the Potters, plus you and Kat were already inseparable. And when I saw the house, destroyed, and their bodies...I realized what Peter must've done...what I'd done..."

His voice broke. He turned away.

"Enough of this," said Lupin, and there was a steely note in his voice I had never heard before. "There's one certain way to prove what really happened. Ron, give me that rat."

"What are you going to do with him if I give him to you?" Ron asked Lupin tensely.

"Force him to show himself," said Lupin. "If he really is a rat, it won't hurt him."

Ron hesitated. Then at long last, he held out Scabbers and Lupin took him. Scabbers began to squeak without stopping, twisting and turning, his tiny black eyes bulging in his head.

"Ready, Sirius?" said Lupin.

Black had already retrieved Snape's wand from the bed where I had placed it earlier. He approached Lupin and the struggling rat, and his wet eyes suddenly seemed to be burning in his face.

"Together?" he said quietly.

"I think so," said Lupin, holding Scabbers tightly in one hand and his wand in the other. "On the count of three. One—two—THREE!"

A flash of blue-white light erupted from both wands; for a moment, Scabbers was frozen in midair, his small gray form twisting madly—Ron yelled—the rat fell and hit the floor. There was another blinding flash of light and then—

It was like watching a speeded-up film of a growing tree. A head was shooting upward from the ground; limbs were sprouting; a moment later, a man was standing where Scabbers had been, cringing and wringing his hands. Crookshanks was spitting and snarling on the bed; the hair on his back was standing up as his blue eyes stared at the man in front of us.

He was a very short man, hardly taller than Harry. His thin, colorless hair was unkempt and there was a large bald patch on top. He had the shrunken appearance of a plump man who has lost a lot of weight in a short time. His skin looked grubby, almost like Scabbers's fur, and something of the rat lingered around his pointed nose and his very small, watery eyes. He looked around at us all, his breathing fast and shallow. I saw his eyes dart to the door and back again.

"Well, hello, Peter," said Lupin pleasantly, as though rats frequently erupted into old school friends around him. "Long time, no see."

"S—Sirius...R—Remus..." Even Pettigrew's voice was squeaky. Again, his eyes darted toward the door. "My friends...my old friends..."

Black's wand arm rose, but Lupin seized him around the wrist, gave him a warning look, then turned again to Pettigrew, his voice light and casual.

"We've been having a little chat, Peter, about what happened the night Lily, James, and Eliana died. You might have missed the finer points while you were squeaking around down there on the bed—"

"Remus," gasped Pettigrew, and I could see beads of sweat breaking out over his pasty face, "you don't believe him, do you...? He tried to kill me, Remus..."

"So we've heard," said Lupin, more coldly. "I'd like to clear up one or two little matters with you, Peter, if you'd be so—"

"He's come to try and kill me again!" Pettigrew squeaked suddenly, pointing at Black, and I saw that he used his middle finger, because his index was missing. "He killed Lily, James, and Eliana, and now he's going to kill me too...You've got to help me, Remus..."

Black's face looked more skull-like than ever as he stared at Pettigrew with his fathomless eyes.

"No one's going to try and kill you until we've sorted a few things out," said Lupin.

"Sorted things out?" squealed Pettigrew, looking wildly about him once more, eyes taking in the boarded windows and, again, the only door. "I knew he'd come after me! I knew he'd be back for me! I've been waiting for this for twelve years!"

"You knew Sirius was going to break out of Azkaban?" said Lupin, his brow furrowed. "When nobody has ever done it before?"

"He's got dark powers the rest of us can only dream of!" Pettigrew shouted shrilly. "How else did he get out of there? I suppose He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named taught him a few tricks!"

Black started to laugh, a horrible, mirthless laugh that filled the whole room.

"Voldemort, teach me tricks?" he said.

Pettigrew flinched as though Black had brandished a whip at him.

"What, scared to hear your old master's name?" said Black. "I don't blame you, Peter. His lot aren't very happy with you, are they?"

"Don't know what you mean, Sirius—" muttered Pettigrew, his breathing faster than ever. His whole face was shining with sweat now.

"You haven't been hiding from me for twelve years," said Black. "You've been hiding from Voldemort's old supporters. I heard things in Azkaban, Peter...They all think you're dead, or you'd have to answer to them...I've heard them screaming all sorts of things in their sleep. Sounds like they think the double-crosser double-crossed them. Voldemort went to the Potters' on your information...and Voldemort met his downfall there. And not all Voldemort's supporters ended up in Azkaban, did they? There are still plenty out here, biding their time, pretending they've seen the error of their ways...If they ever got wind that you were still alive, Peter—"

"Don't know...what you're talking about...," said Pettigrew again, more shrilly than ever. He wiped his face on his sleeve and looked up at Lupin. "You don't believe this—this madness, Remus—"

"I must admit, Peter, I have difficulty in understanding why an innocent man would want to spend twelve years as a rat," said Lupin evenly.

"Innocent, but scared!" squealed Pettigrew. "If Voldemort's supporters were after me, it was because I put one of their best men in Azkaban—the spy, Sirius Black!"

Black's face contorted.

"How dare you," he growled, sounding suddenly like the bear-sized dog he had been. "I, a spy for Voldemort? When did I ever sneak around people who were stronger and more powerful than myself? But you, Peter—I'll never understand why I didn't see you were the spy from the start. You always liked big friends who'd look after you, didn't you? It used to be us...me and Remus... and James...but I should have known...you never left Eliana alone...what, were you hoping Voldemort would give her to you once he had his fun? Don't think I didn't see the way you looked at her!" (Really wanna steal Eomer's lines to Wormtongue but since I'm planning on a LOTR story as well I'll leave that for later :p - hopefully y'all understand what I'm talking about! Cuz yes, I'm saying it, LOTR is just a tinsy bit better than HP!)

Pettigrew wiped his face again; he was almost panting for breath.

"Me, a spy...must be out of your mind... never...don't know how you can say such a—"

"They only made you Secret-Keeper because I suggested it," Black hissed, so venomously that Pettigrew took a step backward. "I thought it was the perfect plan...a bluff...Voldemort would be sure to come after me, would never dream they'd use a weak, talentless thing like you...It must have been the finest moment of your miserable life, telling Voldemort you could hand him the Potters and another way to get back at Dumbledore in one fell swoop!"

Pettigrew was muttering distractedly; I caught words like "far-fetched" and "lunacy," but I couldn't help paying more attention to the ashen color of Pettigrew's face and the way his eyes continued to dart toward the windows and door.

"Professor Lupin?" said Hermione timidly. "Can—can I say something?"

"Certainly, Hermione," said Lupin courteously.

"Well—Scabbers—I mean, this—this man—he's been sleeping in Harry's dormitory for three years. If he's working for You-Know-Who, how come he never tried to hurt Harry or Kat before now? I mean she spends as much time in Gryffindor Tower as the rest of us! He could have easily gotten to either of them.

"There!" said Pettigrew shrilly, pointing at Ron with his maimed hand. "Thank you! You see, Remus? I have never hurt a hair on Harry's or Kat's heads! Why should I?" I clenched my teeth as he used the shortened version of my name. Something about it felt wrong, especially if Lupin and Sirius were right about him.

"I'll tell you why," said Black. "Because you never did anything for anyone unless you could see what was in it for you. Voldemort's been in hiding for fifteen years, they say he's half dead. You weren't about to commit murder right under Albus Dumbledore's nose, for a wreck of a wizard who'd lost all of his power, were you? You'd want to be quite sure he was the biggest bully in the playground before you went back to him, wouldn't you? Why else did you find a wizard family to take you in? Keeping an ear out for news, weren't you, Peter? Just in case your old protector regained strength, and it was safe to rejoin him..."

Pettigrew opened his mouth and closed it several times. He seemed to have lost the ability to talk.

"Er—Mr. Black—Sirius?" said Hermione.

Black jumped at being addressed like this and stared at Hermione as though he had never seen anything quite like her.

"If you don't mind me asking, how—how did you get out of Azkaban, if you didn't use Dark Magic?"

"Thank you!" gasped Pettigrew, nodding frantically at her. "Exactly! Precisely what I—"

But Lupin silenced him with a look. Black was frowning slightly at Hermione, but not as though he were annoyed with her. He seemed to be pondering his answer.

"I don't know how I did it," he said slowly. "I think the only reason I never lost my mind is that I knew I was innocent...That wasn't a happy thought, so the dementors couldn't suck it out of me...but it kept me sane and knowing who I am...helped me keep my powers...so when it all became...too much...I could transform in my cell...become a dog. Dementors can't see, you know..." He swallowed. "They feel their way toward people by feeding off their emotions...They could tell that my feelings were less—less human, less complex when I was a dog...but they thought, of course, that I was losing my mind like everyone else in there, so it didn't trouble them. But I was weak, very weak, and I had no hope of driving them away from me without a wand...

"But then I saw Peter in that picture...I realized he was at Hogwarts with Harry and Katrina...perfectly positioned to act, if one hint reached his ears that the Dark Side was gathering strength again..."

Pettigrew was shaking his head, mouthing noiselessly, but staring all the while at Black as though hypnotized.

"...ready to strike at the moment he could be sure of allies...and to deliver the last Potter to them along with my little princess. If he gave them Harry, and Katrina, who'd dare say he'd betrayed Lord Voldemort? He'd be welcomed back with honors...

"So you see, I had to do something. I was the only one who knew Peter was still alive..."

"It was as if someone had lit a fire in my head, and the dementors couldn't destroy it...It wasn't a happy feeling...it was an obsession...but it gave me strength, it cleared my mind. So, one night when they opened my door to bring food, I slipped past them as a dog...It's so much harder for them to sense animal emotions that they were confused...I was thin, very thin...thin enough to slip through the bars...I swam as a dog back to the mainland...I journeyed north and slipped into the Hogwarts grounds as a dog. I've been living in the forest ever since, except when I came to watch the Quidditch, of course. You fly as well as your parents did..."

He looked at Harry and I, who did not look away this time. I stared at my father. Was it really possible that he was innocent? I felt my heart strings tug as the weight on them began to lift.

"Believe me," croaked Black. "Believe me, Harry. I never betrayed James and Lily. I would have died before I betrayed them."

And at long last, I could tell Harry believed him and he nodded silently. Then Sirius turned to look at me.

"Please believe me, little one. Your mother was ab initio mi omnia. (From the beginning, my everything) I would never have betrayed her, or you." I blinked furiously as a distant part of my mind translated the Latin words. I slowly nodded as Harry had.

"No!"

Pettigrew had fallen to his knees as though our nods had been his own death sentence. He shuffled forward on his knees, groveling, his hands clasped in front of him as though praying.

"Sirius—it's me...it's Peter...your friend...you wouldn't..."

Black kicked out and Pettigrew recoiled.

"There's enough filth on my robes without you touching them," my father said.

"Remus!" Pettigrew squeaked, turning to Lupin instead, writhing imploringly in front of him. "You don't believe this...wouldn't Sirius have told you they'd changed the plan?"

"Not if he thought I was the spy, Peter," said Lupin. "I assume that's why you didn't tell me, Sirius?" he said casually over Pettigrew's head.

"Forgive me, Remus," said Sirius.

"Not at all, Padfoot, old friend," said Lupin, who was now rolling up his sleeves. "And will you, in turn, forgive me for believing you were the spy?"

"Of course," said Sirius, and the ghost of a grin flitted across his gaunt face. He, too, began rolling up his sleeves. "Shall we kill him together?"

"Yes, I think so," said Lupin grimly.

"You wouldn't...you won't...," gasped Pettigrew. And he scrambled around to Ron.

"Ron...haven't I been a good friend...a good pet? You won't let them kill me, Ron, will you...you're on my side, aren't you?"

But Ron was staring at Pettigrew with the utmost revulsion.

"I let you sleep in my bed!" he said.

"Kind boy...kind master..." Pettigrew crawled toward Ron, "you won't let them do it...I was your rat...I was a good pet..."

"If you made a better rat than a human, it's not much to boast about, Peter," said my father harshly. Ron, going still paler with pain, wrenched his broken leg out of Pettigrew's reach. Pettigrew turned on his knees, staggered forward, and seized the hem of Hermione's robes.

"Sweet girl...clever girl...you—you won't let them...Help me..."

Hermione pulled her robes out of Pettigrew's clutching hands and backed away against the wall, looking horrified.

Pettigrew knelt, trembling uncontrollably, and turned his head slowly toward Harry and I.

"Harry...Harry...you look just like your father...just like him...and your mother, Katrina...so beautiful...just like her..." I stepped back as his eyes gleamed hungrily as he stared at me.

"HOW DARE YOU SPEAK TO HARRY AND MY DAUGHTER?" roared Black. "HOW DARE YOU FACE THEM! HOW DARE YOU TALK ABOUT JAMES AND ELIANA IN FRONT OF THEM!

"Harry, Kat," whispered Pettigrew, shuffling toward us, hands outstretched. "James and Eliana wouldn't have wanted me killed...they would have understood...they would have shown me mercy..." he got up close to me and I could feel his stale breath on my face. I stumbled into Harry as I tried to distance myself from the vile creature before me. I felt Harry's arms wrap around me protectively as we stared at Peter.

Both Sirius and Lupin strode forward, seized Pettigrew's shoulders, and threw him backward onto the floor. He sat there, twitching with terror, staring up at them.

"You sold Lily, James, and Eliana to Voldemort," said Sirius, who was shaking too. "Do you deny it?"

Pettigrew burst into tears. It was horrible to watch, like an oversized, balding baby, cowering on the floor.

"Sirius, Sirius, what could I have done? The Dark Lord...you have no idea...he has weapons you can't imagine...I was scared, Sirius, I was never brave like you and Remus and James. I never meant it to happen...He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named forced me—"

"DON'T LIE!" bellowed Black. "YOU'D BEEN PASSING INFORMATION TO HIM FOR A YEAR BEFORE LILY, JAMES, AND ELIANA DIED! YOU WERE HIS SPY!"

"He—he was taking over everywhere!" gasped Pettigrew. "Wh—what was there to be gained by refusing him?"

"What was there to be gained by fighting the most evil wizard who has ever existed?" said my father, with a terribly fury in his face. "Only innocent lives, Peter!"

"You don't understand!" whined Pettigrew. "He would have killed me, Sirius!"

"THEN YOU SHOULD HAVE DIED!" roared Sirius. "DIED RATHER THAN BETRAY YOUR FRIENDS, AS WE WOULD HAVE DONE FOR YOU!"

Sirius and Lupin stood shoulder to shoulder, wands raised.

"You should have realized," said Lupin quietly, "if Voldemort didn't kill you, we would. Good-bye, Peter."

Hermione covered her face with her hands and turned to the wall.

"NO!" Harry and I yelled. We ran forward, placing ourselves in front of Pettigrew, facing the wands. "You can't kill him," I said breathlessly. "You can't."

Black and Lupin both looked staggered.

"Harry, Katrina, this piece of vermin is the reason you have no parents," Sirius snarled. "This cringing bit of filth would have seen you two die as well, without turning a hair. You heard him. His own stinking skin meant more to him than your whole family." I glared down at Peter at this, but as much as I hated to admit it, he had been right about one thing - I doubted whether Harry's parents or my mother would have wanted Lupin and Sirius to become killers - even if it was only to avenge their murders.

"I know," Harry panted. "We'll take him up to the castle. We'll hand him over to the dementors...He can go to Azkaban...but don't kill him."

"Harry! Sweet, beautiful Katrina!" gasped Pettigrew, and he flung his arms around our knees. "You—thank you—it's more than I deserve—thank you—"

"You're right, it is!" I said coldly as I kicked him as hard as I could, not feeling any remorse for any pain I might have caused. This man was the reason my father had been stuck in jail for 15 years!

"Get off me," Harry spat, throwing Pettigrew's hands off him in disgust. "I'm not doing this for you. I'm doing it because—I don't reckon my dad or Kat's mum would've wanted them to become killers—just for you."

No one moved or made a sound except Pettigrew, whose breath was coming in wheezes as he clutched his chest. Sirius and Lupin were looking at each other. Then, with one movement, they lowered their wands.

"You're the only two people who have the right to decide," said Sirius. "But think...think what he did..."

"He can go to Azkaban," Harry repeated. "If anyone deserves that place, he does..."

Pettigrew was still wheezing behind him.

"Very well," said Lupin. "Stand aside, you two."

We hesitated.

"I'm going to tie him up," said Lupin. "That's all, I swear."

We stepped out of the way. Thin cords shot from Lupin's wand this time, and next moment, Pettigrew was wriggling on the floor, bound and gagged.

"But if you transform, Peter," growled Sirius, his own wand pointing at Pettigrew too, "we will kill you. You agree, Harry, Katrina?"

Harry and I looked down at the pitiful figure on the floor and nodded so that Pettigrew could see us.

"Right," said Lupin, suddenly businesslike. "Ron, I can't mend bones nearly as well as Madam Pomfrey, so I think it's best if we just strap your leg up until we can get you to the hospital wing."

He hurried over to Ron, bent down, tapped Ron's leg with his wand, and muttered, "Ferula." Bandages spun up Ron's leg, strapping it tightly to a splint. Lupin helped him to his feet; Ron put his weight gingerly on the leg and didn't wince.

"That's better," he said. "Thanks."

"What about Professor Snape?" said Hermione in a small voice, looking down at Snape's prone figure.

"There's nothing seriously wrong with him," said Lupin, bending over my godfather and checking his pulse. "Kat was just a little—overenthusiastic. Still out cold. Er—perhaps it will be best if we don't revive him until we're safely back in the castle. We can take him like this..."

He muttered, "Mobilicorpus." As though invisible strings were tied to Snape's wrists, neck, and knees, he was pulled into a standing position, head still lolling unpleasantly, like a grotesque puppet. He hung a few inches above the ground, his limp feet dangling. Lupin picked up the Invisibility Cloak and tucked it safely into his pocket.

"And two of us should be chained to this," said Sirius, nudging Pettigrew with his toe. "Just to make sure."

"I'll do it," said Lupin.

"And me," said Ron savagely, limping forward.

My father conjured heavy manacles from thin air; soon Pettigrew was upright again, left arm chained to Lupin's right, right arm to Ron's left. Ron's face was set. He seemed to have taken Scabbers's true identity as a personal insult. Crookshanks leapt lightly off the bed and led the way out of the room, his bottlebrush tail held jauntily high.

(AN - ok I may have lied, you'll find out about Aquila in the next chapter sorry! Don't hate me lol. Hope you enjoyed this one though! Feel free to share your thoughts - should be able to crank out at least one or two more chapters tonight!)


	20. The Dementor's Kiss

Harry's POV

I had never been part of a stranger group. Crookshanks led the way down the stairs; Lupin, Pettigrew, and Ron went next, looking like entrants in a six-legged race. Next came Professor Snape, drifting creepily along, his toes hitting each stair as we descended, held up by his own wand, which was being pointed at him by Sirius. Hermione, Kat, and I brought up the rear.

Getting back into the tunnel was difficult. Lupin, Pettigrew, and Ron had to turn sideways to manage it; Lupin still had Pettigrew covered with his wand. I could see them edging awkwardly along the tunnel in single file. Crookshanks was still in the lead. I went right after Black, who was still making Snape drift along ahead of them; he kept bumping his lolling head on the low ceiling. I had the impression Black was making no effort to prevent this.

"You know what this means?" Black said abruptly to Kat and I as we made our slow progress along the tunnel. "Turning Pettigrew in?"

"You're free," we said at once.

"Yes...," said Black. "But I'm also—I don't know if anyone ever told you, Harry, but I'm your godfather."

"Yeah, I knew that," I said.

"And I know that you're my father!" Kat added. I looked up sharply at this and stared at Sirius to see what he would say. He just nodded but glanced at me suspiciously as he noticed my reaction.

"Well...your parents appointed me your guardian," said Black stiffly. "If anything happened to them..."

I waited. Did Black mean what I thought he meant?

"I'll understand, of course, if you want to stay with your aunt and uncle," said Black. "But...well...think about it. Once my name's cleared...if you wanted a...a different home...Katrina, you'd be welcome too of course, if you don't want to continue staying with Snivellus..."

Some sort of explosion took place in the pit of my stomach.

"What—live with you?" I said, accidentally cracking my head on a bit of rock protruding from the ceiling.  
I reached my hand out and grabbed Kat as she stumbled as well.

"- Leave the Dursleys?"  
"- Move in with my father?" Kat and I said at the same time.

"Of course, I thought you wouldn't want to," said Black quickly. "I understand, I just thought I'd—"

"Are you insane?" We said together, our voices easily as croaky as Black's.

"- Of course I want to leave the Dursleys! Have you got a house? When can I move in?"  
"- Of course I want to live with you. You're my father! Where do you live? When can I move in? Will Harry and I have to share a room? I've never shared a room before but I think I could get used to it!"

Black turned right around to look at us, a quick grin crossing his face at Kat's rambling response; Snape's head was scraping the ceiling but Black didn't seem to care.

"You want to?" he said. "You mean it?"

"Yeah, I mean it!" I said as Kat nodded furiously in agreement.

Black's gaunt face broke into the first true smile I had seen upon it. The difference it made was startling, as though a person ten years younger were shining through the starved mask; for a moment, he was recognizable as the man who had laughed at my parents' wedding.

Sirius motioned for me to come closer as Kat fell behind.

"You know, don't you Harry..."

"Know what?"

"Who her father is."

"Yes...I found out last year..." I mumbled not sure what to say.

"Well I'm glad to see my godson has enough sense about him not to hold it over her head and staying friends with her, but, Harry...she's not ready to know the truth."

"Don't worry, Dumbledore already made me promised not to tell her..." I shifted uncomfortably, not enjoying keeping such a large secret from my best friend. Sirius patted me on the shoulder and glanced back at Kat.

"She may not be my daughter by blood, but she will always be my daughter nonetheless." I nodded as I watched him look back at my best friend.

I sped ahead as I sensed that Sirius wanted to talk to Kat on her own for a little bit.

Katrina's POV

"You have your mother's and grandfather's eyes..." I looked up at my father, not sure what to say. 

"Yeah, Sev told me I reminded him of her, said I had her smile too," I looked down and fumbled my hands into my robes as my cheeks reddened.

"He's not wrong...I'd say you inherited that, along with some of her other habits." He said as he raised an eyebrow at my twisted fingers.

"Can I ask you a question?"

"You can ask me whatever you want, my little princess."

"I'm not a princess...I wish people would stop calling me that!"

"You are to me, and I'm glad to hear the name has stuck over the years," Sirius grinned down at me as I frowned back at him.

"Yeah, I blame Fred and George Weasley for making it a trend. Once they started, it caught on like wildfire," I grumbled as I kicked a rock.

"Well I can't say I'm not pleased, little one. You are most definitely worthy of the title," he grinned again as he saw my red cheeks. "You didn't like the nickname even when you were little, though - I think it's about time you got used to it, don't you?"

"No!" I stated firmly, causing Sirius to chuckle again.

"So, little princess, what was your question?" I had to pause for a moment as I refocused and ignored his emphasis on the unwanted nickname.

"Well, earlier, you said that my mother was also an Animagus. What was her form? Was it...was it a lioness?" I spoke softly as I asked the question I desperately wanted to know the answer to. It seemed the most obvious conclusion.

"What makes you think that?" Sirius stopped walking for a second as he looked at me suspiciously. I shifted uncomfortably and looked at my hands.

"Out with it, little one - it may have been years, but a father never forgets how to spot when their child is holding something back."

"It's just, I-I found out earlier this year that I could transform into a lion cub so I-I figured that maybe it was something...something we...we shared..." I trailed off as I realized how pathetic I sounded. My father smiled sadly in understanding and pulled me into a quick hug before he began to walk down the tunnel again.

"No, I'm sorry, sweetie. As I mentioned, our nicknames were created based off of our Animagus form - Eliana was my Aquila."

"As in, the Latin word meaning eagle?" My eyebrows scrunched up as I thought it over. I would never have guessed that; then again, I knew so little about her...

"Yes. I thought it was strange at first as well, but the more I thought about it, the more it fit. I'll never forget the day I met her. I loved her from the moment I saw her on the train our first year. She was breathtakingly beautiful, wise beyond her years, a free spirit, and the kindest woman ever - just like you, princess." I shook my head at this but didn't interrupt. I was hanging onto every word he said.

"I never believed in fate, but I gotta believe we were destined for each other. Did you know that Aquila is also the name for the eagle constellation? Everyone in my family is named after a star or constellation (can't remember if they're all stars or all constellations or both or whatever screw it haha). It can't be a coincidence that she took on the form of the stars. (Thought that sounded sweet even if it might not make complete sense - deal with it - it made sense in my head so I'm going with it. Lol)

"Yes, I did! We learned all about Aquila in Astronomy! In Greek mythology it's known as the eagle that carried Zeus's/Jupiters lightning bolts. The Egyptians saw Aquila as the falcon of Horus. Other cultures associate it with Garuda - a half-eagle half-human deity. It's brightest star is Altair." I rambled off before clasping a hand over my mouth. I didn't want my father thinking I was a total nerd when he was one of the schools most infamous pranksters!"

But he just chuckled again and pulled me in closer for another hug.

"I'm glad to see you inherited you're mother's smarts and not my proclivity for risky adventures! (Poor Sirius, she totally has!) Yes...she was my Altair (if it's not clear, I'm using this to imply she was his brightest star - love of his life etc etc lol)...she always hated when I called her Taira when we were alone...but truer words have never been spoken. She was comparable to no one - except you, of course, my angelus paulo (little angel)."

My throat clenched tight and Incould breath around the ginormous lump that had formed as our watery eyes stared back at one another.

Harry's POV

After what seemed like an age, we finally reached the end of the tunnel. Crookshanks darted up first; he had evidently pressed his paw to the knot on the trunk, because Lupin, Pettigrew, and Ron clambered upward without any sound of savaging branches.

Black saw Snape up through the hole, then stood back for Kat, Hermione, and I to pass. At last, all of us were out.

The grounds were very dark now; the only light came from the distant windows of the castle. Without a word, we set off. Pettigrew was still wheezing and occasionally whimpering. My mind was buzzing. I was going to leave the Dursleys. I was going to live with Sirius Black, my parents' best friend...I felt dazed...What would happen when I told the Dursleys I was going to live with the convict they'd seen on television...!

"One wrong move, Peter," said Lupin threateningly ahead. His wand was still pointed sideways at Pettigrew's chest.

Silently we tramped through the grounds, the castle lights growing slowly larger. Snape was still drifting weirdly ahead of Black, his chin bumping on his chest. And then—

A cloud shifted. There were suddenly dim shadows on the ground. Our party was bathed in moonlight.

Snape collided with Lupin, Pettigrew, and Ron, who had stopped abruptly. Black froze. He flung out an arm to make Kat and I stop.

I could see Lupin's silhouette. He had gone rigid. Then his limbs began to shake.

"Oh, my—" Hermione and Kat gasped. "He didn't take his potion tonight! He's not safe!"

"Run," Black whispered. "Run. Now."

But I couldn't run. Ron was chained to Pettigrew and Lupin. Kat and I leapt forward but Black caught us around the chest and threw us back.

"Leave it to me—RUN!"

There was a terrible snarling noise. Lupin's head was lengthening. So was his body. His shoulders were hunching. Hair was sprouting visibly on his face and hands, which were curling into clawed paws. Crookshanks's hair was on end again; he was backing away...but strangely enough, not out of fear. He seemed to be lookin at something else.

As the werewolf reared, snapping its long jaws, Sirius disappeared from my side. He had transformed. The enormous, bearlike dog bounded forward. As the werewolf wrenched itself free of the manacle binding it, the dog seized it about the neck and pulled it backward, away from Ron and Pettigrew. They were locked, jaw to jaw, claws ripping at each other—

I stood, transfixed by the sight, too intent upon the battle to notice anything else. It was Hermione's scream that alerted me—

Pettigrew had dived for Lupin's dropped wand. Ron, unsteady on his bandaged leg, fell. There was a bang, a burst of light—and Ron lay motionless on the ground. Another bang—Crookshanks flew into the air and back to the earth in a heap.

"Expelliarmus!" (Clearly JK's favorite spell lmao) I yelled, pointing my own wand at Pettigrew; Lupin's wand flew high into the air and out of sight. "Stay where you are!" I shouted, running forward.

Too late. Pettigrew had transformed. I saw him wink at Kat and growled angrily at him as he watched his bald tail whip through the manacle on Ron's outstretched arm and heard a scurrying through the grass. Crookshanks hissed and darted off after him.

There was a howl and a rumbling growl; I turned to see the werewolf taking flight; it was galloping into the forest—

"Sirius, he's gone, Pettigrew transformed!" I yelled.

Black was bleeding; there were gashes across his muzzle and back, but at my words he scrambled up again, and in an instant, the sound of his paws faded to silence as he pounded away across the grounds.

Kat, Hermione, and I dashed over to Ron.

"What did he do to him?" Hermione whispered. Ron's eyes were only half-closed, his mouth hung open; he was definitely alive, we could hear him breathing, but he didn't seem to recognize us.

"I don't know..."

I looked desperately around. Black and Lupin both gone...they had no one but Snape for company, still hanging, unconscious, in midair. (I never had any doubt that Snape was good - but after the third movie, how could anyone deny it? His first instinct was to protect them from the werewolf! Come on now people! Shouldn't have taken 7 yrs to figure it out! Obviously there's a varieties of other examples.)

"We'd better get them up to the castle and tell someone," I said, pushing my hair out of my eyes, trying to think straight. Come—"

But then, from beyond the range of their vision, we heard a yelping, a whining: a dog in pain...and a cats yowl.

"Sirius," I muttered, staring into the darkness.

I had a moment's indecision, but there was nothing we could do for Ron at the moment, and by the sound of it, Black was in trouble—

Kat and I set off at a run, Hermione right behind us. The yelping seemed to be coming from the ground near the edge of the lake. We pelted toward it, and we, running flat out, felt the cold without realizing what it must mean—

The yelping stopped abruptly. As we reached the lakeshore, we saw why—Sirius had turned back into a man. He was crouched on all fours, his hands over his head.

"Nooo," he moaned. "Noooo...please..."

And then we saw them. Dementors, at least a hundred of them, gliding in a black mass around the lake toward them. I spun around, the familiar, icy cold penetrating my insides, fog starting to obscure my vision; more were appearing out of the darkness on every side; they were encircling us...

"Hermione, Kat, think of something happy!" I yelled, raising my wand, blinking furiously to try and clear my vision, shaking my head to rid it of the faint screaming that had started inside it—

I'm going to live with my godfather and best friend. I'm leaving the Dursleys.

I forced myself to think of Black and Kat, and only them, and began to chant: "Expecto patronum! Expecto patronum!"

Black gave a shudder, rolled over, and lay motionless on the ground, pale as death.

He'll be all right. I'm going to go and live with him and Kat.

"Expecto patronum! Hermione, help us! Expecto patronum!" Kat and I managed to get from our silvery shields but Hermione was struggling.

"Expecto—" Hermione whispered, "expecto—expecto—"

But she couldn't do it. The dementors were closing in, barely ten feet from us. They formed a solid wall around us, and were getting closer...

"EXPECTO PATRONUM!" Kat and I yelled, trying to blot the screaming from our ears. "EXPECTO PATRONUM!"

I felt Hermione collapse next to me. Kat and I were alone...completely alone...

"Expecto—expecto patronum—"

I felt my knees hit the cold grass. Fog was clouding my eyes. With a huge effort, I fought to remember—Sirius was innocent—innocent—We'll be okay—I'm going to live with him and Kat...

"Expecto patronum!" I gasped.

By the feeble light of our formless Patronuses, I saw a dementor halt, very close to me. It couldn't walk through the cloud of silver mist Kat and I had conjured. A dead, slimy hand slid out from under the cloak. It made a gesture as though to sweep the Patronuses aside.

"No—no—" I gasped. "He's innocent... expecto—expecto patronum—"

I could feel them watching us, hear their rattling breath like an evil wind around me. The nearest dementor seemed to be considering me. Then it raised both its rotting hands—and lowered its hood.

Where there should have been eyes, there was only thin, gray scabbed skin, stretched blankly over empty sockets. But there was a mouth...a gaping, shapeless hole, sucking the air with the sound of a death rattle.

A paralyzing terror filled me so that I couldn't move or speak. My Patronus flickered and died, along with Kat's.

White fog was blinding me. I had to fight...expecto patronum...I couldn't see...and in the distance, I heard the familiar screaming...expecto patronum...I groped in the mist for Sirius, and Kat, and found their arms...they weren't going to take them...

But a pair of strong, clammy hands suddenly attached themselves around my neck. They were forcing my face upward...I could feel its breath...It was going to get rid of me first...I could feel its putrid breath...My mother was screaming in my ears...She was going to be the last thing I ever heard—

And then, through the fog that was drowning me, I thought I saw a silvery light growing brighter and brighter... I felt myself fall forward onto the grass... Facedown, too weak to move, sick and shaking, I opened my eyes. The dementor must have released me. The blinding light was illuminating the grass around us...The screaming had stopped, the cold was ebbing away...

Something was driving the dementors back...two forms were circling around us...They were leaving...The air was warm again...

With every ounce of strength I could muster, I raised my head a few inches and saw two animals amid the light, galloping away across the lake...Eyes blurred with sweat, I tried to make out what they were. They were as bright as unicorns...Fighting to stay conscious, I watched them canter to a halt as they reached the opposite shore. For a moment, I saw, by their brightness, two figures welcoming them back...raising their hands to pat the creatures...both looked strangely familiar...but it couldn't be...(he sees his mom and dad, Kat sees her mom and Sirius)

I didn't understand. I couldn't think anymore. I felt the last of my strength leave me, and my head hit the ground as I fainted.


	21. Hermione and Kat's Secret

(Ok, after the last chapter and a note from one of the reader's I've come to the realization that I may be going a little overboard on the in-line comments and interrupting the flow of the story - so I'm going to try to stick with my original format with the notes either at the beginning and or at the end - since I don't want to include numbers/detailed footnotes I'm relying on everyone to let me know whether or not my personal comments are still understandable - also just wanted to say how much I love you all! You're comments make me feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside to know that other people are enjoying the story as much as I'm enjoying finally writing it down! Not to mention y'all crack me up and I end up looking crazy as I laugh at my computer/phone for no reason! So here ya go, the second to last chapter! OMG

\- before that, a few last comments: no I did not read the idea for Aquila from another story :( I was hoping that was something that hadn't been done yet lol but I waited so long to start writing this that by now pretty much everything is out there haha as I mentioned in the beginning of book one - if there's anything that seems similar to other stories whether I've read em or not, it's purely coincidence and not purposeful plagiarism! but yeah. Secondly awww I love everyone who is thinking that it's Kat's mum. Not gonna ruin it yet but you'll find out like - now -)

Katrina's POV

"Shocking business...shocking... miracle none of them died...never heard the like...by thunder, it was lucky you were there, Snape..."

"Thank you, Minister."

"Order of Merlin, Second Class, I'd say. First Class, if I can wangle it!"

"Thank you very much indeed, Minister."

"Nasty cut you've got there...Black's work, I suppose?"

"As a matter of fact, it was Katrina, Minister...but it wasn't her fault."

"No!"

"Black had bewitched them, I saw it immediately. A Confundus Charm, to judge by their behavior. They seemed to think there was a possibility he was innocent. They weren't responsible for their actions. On the other hand, their interference might have permitted Black to escape...They obviously thought they were going to catch Black single-handed. Potter, Weasley, and Granger have got away with a great deal before now...I'm afraid it's given them a rather high opinion of themselves...and of course Potter has always been allowed an extraordinary amount of license by the headmaster—"

"Ah, well, Snape...Harry Potter, you know...we've all got a bit of a blind spot where he's concerned."

"And yet—is it good for him to be given so much special treatment? Personally, I try and treat him like any other student. And any other student would be suspended—at the very least—for leading his friends into such danger. Consider, Minister—against all school rules—after all the precautions put in place for his protection—out-of-bounds, at night, consorting with a werewolf and a murderer—and I have reason to believe he has been visiting Hogsmeade illegally too—"

"Well, well...we shall see, Snape, we shall see...The boy has undoubtedly been foolish..."

I lay listening with my eyes tight shut. Despite feeling very groggy, I still noticed that once again, Sev was putting all the blame on my friends and leaving me out of it. How infuriatingly hypocritical. The words I was hearing seemed to be traveling very slowly from my ears to my brain, so that it was difficult to understand...

My limbs felt like lead; my eyelids too heavy to lift...I wanted to lie here, on this comfortable bed, forever...

"What amazes me most is the behavior of the dementors...you've really no idea what made them retreat, Snape?"

"No, Minister...by the time I had come 'round they were heading back to their positions at the entrances..."

"Extraordinary. And yet Black, Harry, Katrina, and the other girl—"

"All unconscious by the time I reached them. I bound and gagged Black, naturally, conjured stretchers, and brought them all straight back to the castle."

There was a pause. My brain seemed to be moving a little faster, and as it did, a gnawing sensation grew in the pit of my stomach...

I opened my eyes.

I was lying in the dark hospital wing. At the very end of the ward, I could make out Madam Pomfrey with her back to me, bending over a bed. I squinted. Ron's red hair was visible beneath Madam Pomfrey's arm.

I moved my head over on the pillow. In the bed to my right lay Hermione and Harry was on my left. Both of them were awake. Hermione's looked petrified, and when she saw that I was awake, pressed a finger to her lips, then pointed to the hospital wing door. It was ajar, and the voices of Cornelius Fudge and my godfather were coming through it from the corridor outside.

Madam Pomfrey now came walking briskly up the dark ward to my bed. I turned to look at her. She was carrying the largest block of chocolate I had ever seen in my life. It looked like a small boulder.

"Ah, you're awake!" she said briskly. She placed the chocolate on my bedside table and began breaking it apart with a small hammer.

"How's Ron?" said Harry, Hermione, and I together.

"He'll live," said Madam Pomfrey grimly. "As for you three...you'll be staying here until I'm satisfied you're—Potter, Katrina, what do you think you're doing?"

Harry and I were sitting up and getting out of bed.

"We need to see the headmaster," we said.

"Potter, Katrina, dear," said Madam Pomfrey soothingly, "it's all right. They've got Black. He's locked away upstairs. The dementors will be performing the kiss any moment now—"

"WHAT?"

I jumped up out of bed; Hermione and Harry had done the same. But our shouts had been heard in the corridor outside; next second, Cornelius Fudge and Snape had entered the ward.

"Harry, Katrina, what's this?" said Fudge, looking agitated. "You should be in bed—have they had any chocolate?" he asked Madam Pomfrey anxiously.

"Minister, listen!" Harry and I said. "Sirius Black's innocent! Peter Pettigrew faked his own death! We saw him tonight! You can't let the dementors do that thing to Sirius, he's—"

But Fudge was shaking his head with a small smile on his face.

"Harry, Kat, dear, you're very confused, you've been through a dreadful ordeal, lie back down, now, we've got everything under control..."

"YOU HAVEN'T!" we yelled. "YOU'VE GOT THE WRONG MAN!"

"Minister, listen, please," Hermione said; she had hurried to our side and was gazing imploringly into Fudge's face. "I saw him too. It was Ron's rat, he's an Animagus, Pettigrew, I mean, and—"

"You see, Minister?" said Snape. "Confunded, all three of them...Black's done a very good job on them..."

"WE'RE NOT CONFUNDED!" Harry roared.

"Minister! Professor!" said Madam Pomfrey angrily. "I must insist that you leave. These children are my patients, and they should not be distressed!"

"We're not distressed, we're trying to tell you what happened!" Harry said furiously. "If they'd just listen—"

But Madam Pomfrey suddenly stuffed a large chunk of chocolate into Harry's mouth; he choked, and she seized the opportunity to force him back onto the bed.

"Now, please, Minister, these children need care. Please leave—"

The door opened again. It was grandfather. I swallowed my mouthful of chocolate with great difficulty and got up again.

"Professor Dumbledore, Sirius Black—"

"For heaven's sake!" said Madam Pomfrey hysterically. "Is this a hospital wing or not? Headmaster, I must insist—"

"My apologies, Poppy, but I need a word with Mr. Potter, Miss Granger, and Miss Katrina," said Dumbledore calmly. "I have just been talking to Sirius Black—"

"I suppose he's told you the same fairy tale he's planted in Potter's mind?" spat Snape. "Something about a rat, and Pettigrew being alive—"

"That, indeed, is Black's story," said Dumbledore, surveying Snape closely through his half-moon spectacles.

"And does my evidence count for nothing?" snarled Snape. "Peter Pettigrew was not in the Shrieking Shack, nor did I see any sign of him on the grounds."

"That was because you were knocked out, Professor!" said Hermione earnestly. "You didn't arrive in time to hear—"

"Miss Granger, HOLD YOUR TONGUE!" I felt guilty as I remembered what I had done, but there were more important things to worry about right now. Like the fact that my father was about to get his soul sucked out! Call me crazy, but I think that should be on the top of the priority list...

"Now, Snape," said Fudge, startled, "the young lady is disturbed in her mind, we must make allowances—"

"I would like to speak to Harry, Hermione, and Katrina alone," said Dumbledore abruptly. "Cornelius, Severus, Poppy—please leave us."

"Headmaster!" sputtered Madam Pomfrey "They need treatment, they need rest—"

"This cannot wait," said Dumbledore. "I must insist."

Madam Pomfrey pursed her lips and strode away into her office at the end of the ward, slamming the door behind her. Fudge consulted the large gold pocket watch dangling from his waistcoat.

"The dementors should have arrived by now," he said. "I'll go and meet them. Dumbledore, I'll see you upstairs."

He crossed to the door and held it open for Snape, but Snape hadn't moved.

"You surely don't believe a word of Black's story?" Snape whispered, his eyes fixed on Dumbledore's face.

"I wish to speak to Harry, Hermione, and Katrina alone," Dumbledore repeated.

Snape took a step toward Dumbledore.

"Sirius Black showed he was capable of murder at the age of sixteen," he breathed. "You haven't forgotten that, Headmaster? You haven't forgotten that he once tried to kill me?"

"My memory is as good as it ever was, Severus," said Dumbledore quietly.

Sev turned on his heel and marched through the door Fudge was still holding. It closed behind them, and Dumbledore turned to the three of us. We burst into speech at the same time.

"Professor, Black's telling the truth—we saw Pettigrew—"

"—he escaped when Professor Lupin turned into a werewolf—"

"—he's a rat—"

"—Pettigrew's front paw, I mean, finger, he cut it off—"

"—Pettigrew attacked Ron, it wasn't Sirius—"

But Dumbledore held up his hand to stem the flood of explanations.

"It is your turn to listen, and I beg you will not interrupt me, because there is very little time," he said quietly. "There is not a shred of proof to support Black's story, except your word—and the word of three thirteen-year-old wizards will not convince anybody. A street full of eyewitnesses swore they saw Sirius murder Pettigrew. I myself gave evidence to the Ministry that Sirius had been Secret-Keeper."

"Professor Lupin can tell you—" Harry said, unable to stop himself.

"Professor Lupin is currently deep in the forest, unable to tell anyone anything. By the time he is human again, it will be too late, Sirius will be worse than dead. I might add that werewolves are so mistrusted by most of our kind that his support will count for very little—and the fact that he and Sirius are old friends—"

"But—"

"Listen to me, Harry. It is too late, you understand me? You must see that Professor Snape's version of events is far more convincing than yours."

"He hates Sirius," Hermione said desperately. "All because of some stupid trick Sirius played on him—"

"Sirius has not acted like an innocent man. The attack on the Fat Lady—entering Gryffindor Tower with a knife—without Pettigrew, alive or dead, we have no chance of overturning Sirius's sentence."

"But you believe us?" I asked my grandfather hesitantly.

"Yes, I do," said Dumbledore quietly. "But I have no power to make other men see the truth, or to overrule the Minister of Magic...

"What we need," said Dumbledore slowly, and his light blue eyes moved from Harry to Hermione and I, "is more time."

"But—" Hermione began. And then her eyes became very round as she looked at me. "OH!"

"Now, pay attention," said Dumbledore, speaking very low, and very clearly. "Sirius is locked in Professor Flitwick's office on the seventh floor. Thirteenth window from the right of the West Tower. If all goes well, you will be able to save more than one innocent life tonight. But remember this, all three of you: you must not be seen. Miss Granger, Katrina, dear, you know the law—you know what is at stake...You—must—not—be—seen."

I could tell Harry didn't have a clue what was going on. Grandfather turned on his heel and looked back as he reached the door.

"I am going to lock you in. It is—" he consulted his watch, "five minutes to midnight. Three turns should do it. Good luck."

"Good luck?" Harry repeated as the door closed behind Dumbledore. "Three turns? What's he talking about? What are we supposed to do?"

But Hermione and I were busy fumbling with the necks of our robes, pulling from beneath them two very long, very fine gold chains.

"Harry, come here," we said urgently. "Quick!"

Harry moved toward us, completely bewildered.

"Here—"

I let Hermione throw her chain around his neck too as I looked at her.

"Ready?" I said breathlessly.

"What are we doing?" Harry said, completely lost.

Hermione and I turned our hourglasses over three times.

The dark ward dissolved. I felt the now familiar sensation that I was flying very fast, backward. A blur of colors and shapes rushed past me, my ears were pounding...

And then I felt solid ground beneath my feet, and everything came into focus again—

I was standing next to Hermione and Harry in the deserted entrance hall and a stream of golden sunlight was falling across the paved floor from the open front doors.

"Hermione, what—?"

"In here!" Hermione and I seized Harry's arms and dragged him across the hall to the door of a broom closet; we opened it, pushed him inside among the buckets and mops, then slammed the door behind us

"What—how—Hermione, Kat, what happened?"

"We've gone back in time," Hermione whispered, lifting the chain off Harry's neck in the darkness. "Three hours back..."

I saw Harry find his leg and give it a very hard pinch. I couldn't help but chuckle a little at this.

"But—"

"Shh! Listen! Someone's coming! I think—I think it might be us!" I told the two of them as I bent my ear toward the cupboard door.

"Footsteps across the hall...yes, I think it's us going down to Hagrid's!"

"Are you telling me," Harry whispered, "that we're here in this cupboard and we're out there too?"

"Yes," said Hermione, her ear now alongside mine. "I'm sure it's us. It doesn't sound like more than four people...and we're walking slowly because we're under the Invisibility Cloak—"

She broke off, still listening intently.

"We've gone down the front steps..."

Hermione and I sat down on an upturned bucket, looking desperately anxious, but I knew Harry would want a few questions answered. I didn't have the energy at the moment so I decided to leave it up to Hermione to explain.

"Where did you get those hourglass things?"

"They're called Time-Turners," Hermione whispered, "and we got them from Professor McGonagall on our first day back. We've been using them all year to get to all our lessons. Professor McGonagall made us swear we wouldn't tell anyone. She had to write all sorts of letters to the Ministry of Magic so we could have them. She had to tell them that we were model students, and that we'd never, ever use them for anything except our studies... We've been turning then back so we could do hours over again, that's how We've been doing several lessons at once, see? But..." I finally decided to chime in.

"What I don't understand is what Dumbledore wants us to do. Why did he tell us to go back three hours? How's that going to help my father?"

Harry stared at our shadowy faces.

"There must be something that happened around now he wants us to change," I said slowly. "What happened?"

We were walking down to Hagrid's three hours ago..." Harry started to say.

"This is three hours ago, and we are walking down to Hagrid's," said Hermione. "We just heard ourselves leaving..."

Harry frowned as his face screwed up in concentration.

"Dumbledore just said—just said we could save more than one innocent life..." And then it hit me. "Hermione, Harry, we're going to save Buckbeak!"

"But—how will that help Sirius?"

"Dumbledore said—he just told us where the window is—the window of Flitwick's office! Where they've got Sirius locked up! We've got to fly Buckbeak up to the window and rescue my father. Sirius can escape on Buckbeak—they can escape together!"

From what I could see of Hermione's and Harry's faces, they looked terrified. Well Hermione was, Harry just looked completely bewildered and out of sorts - it was adorable!

"If we manage that without being seen, it'll be a miracle!" He said.

"Well, we've got to try, haven't we?" I replied as I leaned against the door again.

"Doesn't sound like anyone's there... Come on, let's go..."

I pushed open the closet door. The entrance hall was deserted. As quietly and quickly as we could, we darted out of the closet and down the stone steps. The shadows were already lengthening, the tops of the trees in the Forbidden Forest gilded once more with gold.

"If anyone's looking out of the window—" Hermione squeaked, looking up at the castle behind us.

"We'll run for it," I answered determinedly. "Straight into the forest, all right? We'll have to hide behind a tree or something and keep a lookout—"

"Okay, but we'll go around by the greenhouses!" said Hermione breathlessly. "We need to keep out of sight of Hagrid's front door, or we'll see us! We must be nearly at Hagrid's by now!"

We tore across the vegetable gardens to the greenhouses, paused for a moment, then set off again, fast as we could, skirting around the Whomping Willow, tearing toward the shelter of the forest...

Safe in the shadows of the trees, I stopped to wait for Harry and Hermione who arrived beside me, panting.

"Right," she gasped. "We need to sneak over to Hagrid's...Keep out of sight!"

We made our way silently through the trees, keeping to the very edge of the forest. Then, as we glimpsed the front of Hagrid's house, we heard a knock upon his door. We moved quickly behind a wide oak trunk and peered out from either side. Hagrid had appeared in his doorway, shaking and white, looking around to see who had knocked. And I heard Harry's voice.

"It's us. We're wearing the Invisibility Cloak. Let us in and we can take it off."

"Yeh shouldn've come!" Hagrid whispered. He stood back, then shut the door quickly.

"This is the weirdest thing we've ever done," Harry said fervently.

"Let's move along a bit," Hermione whispered. "We need to get nearer to Buckbeak!"

We crept through the trees until we saw the nervous hippogriff, tethered to the fence around Hagrid's pumpkin patch.

"Now?" Harry whispered.

"No!" said Hermione and I at once. "If we steal him now, those Committee people will think Hagrid set him free! We've got to wait until they've seen he's tied outside!"

"That's going to give us about sixty seconds," said Harry. This was starting to seem impossible.

At that moment, there was a crash of breaking china from inside Hagrid's cabin.

"That's Hagrid breaking the milk jug," Hermione whispered. "I'm going to find Scabbers in a moment—"

Sure enough, a few minutes later, they heard Hermione's shriek of surprise.

"Hermione," said Harry suddenly, "what if we—we just run in there and grab Pettigrew—"

"No!" said Hermione in a terrified whisper. I hissed under my breath as I held myself back, wanting to do exactly that.

"Don't you understand? We're breaking one of the most important wizarding laws! Nobody's supposed to change time, nobody! You heard Dumbledore, if we're seen—"

"We'd only be seen by ourselves and Hagrid!"

"Harry, what do you think you'd do if you saw yourself bursting into Hagrid's house?" said Hermione.

"I'd—I'd think I'd gone mad," said Harry, "or I'd think there was some Dark Magic going on—"

"Exactly! You wouldn't understand, you might even attack yourself! Don't you see? Professor McGonagall told Kat and I what awful things have happened when wizards have meddled with time...Loads of them ended up killing their past or future selves by mistake!"

"Okay!" said Harry. "It was just an idea, I just thought—"

But Hermione nudged him and pointed toward the castle. I looked over to see Dumbledore, Fudge, the old Committee member, and Macnair the executioner were coming down the steps.

"We're about to come out!" Hermione breathed.

And sure enough, moments later, Hagrid's back door opened, and we saw ourselves walking out of it with Hagrid.

"It's okay, Beaky, it's okay...," Hagrid said to Buckbeak. Then he turned to Harry, Ron, Hermione and I. "Go on. Get goin'."

"Hagrid, we can't—"

"We'll tell them what really happened—"

"They can't kill him—"

"Go! It's bad enough without you lot in trouble an' all!"

I watched the Hermione in the pumpkin patch throw the Invisibility Cloak over the four of us.

"Go quick. Don' listen..." suddenly, I heard a rustle behind me and turned to see Crookshanks beady yellow eyes staring down at me. Yellow? Hadn't they been blue just a few hours ago?

I heard the knock on Hagrid's front door but I couldn't tear my eyes away from the Cat's. I watched his eyes flicker back and forth from me to Past Ron; who was up the hill and struggling with Scabbers. My eyes turned to slits as I glared at the slimy rat who had caused so much pain and destruction. I longed to leap over there and pounce on him! As I turned my eyes back to Crookshanks, I felt a weird sensation ripple throughout my body and then I closed my eyes as I pitched forward.

I held my breath as I waited for my body to hit the ground, but it never came. I slowly opened one eye, and then the next...only to find that the world seemed different. All the colors seemed fainter but I found that my night vision had been intensified. Whereas before I could only make out Ron's moving form, I now was able to laser in on Scabbers wriggling body.

Before I had time to think about what I was doing, I had darted out from behind the trees and chased after the rat and pounced on him. But he was small and squirmed so much it was hard to get a grasp. As I stared down at the ginger paws that danced struggled to grasp Scabbers in their claws, I finally realized what must have happened. By some bizarre, crazy, twist of fate, I had turned into Crookshanks. My blue cat eyes widened as though back over the night's events and came to an epiphany. The eyes...the wink...but how had he known? I was distracted as the sorry excuse for vermin escaped and dashed off into the dark. I darted after him until a hard body slammed into me and I was knocked away.

"Gotcha, get off, you stinking cat -" it was Ron. Then Hermione was speaking.

"Ron-come on-back under the cloak-" she panted. I heard more rustling from behind me and watched as the big black dog charged at the Past versions of my friends and I. I did my best to blend into my surroundings as I tried not to let myself see myself - what a silly statement, not sure if it even made sense, but the point was, I knew I had to do my best not to make my Past Self go crazy - I guess it helped that I didn't look like me...a blessing and a curse...

I slithered forward as smoothly as a snake when it was time, touched the pad of my paw to the knot of the tree, then slunk inside. I led my friends forward down the tunnel and towards the room I now knew was there. I jumped up and out of the hole and made sure that they were still following before pressing on. We finally arrived and I slipped first through the only open door.

I perched myself comfortably on the bed; out of the way of Ron, and settled myself in to watch as events unfolded before my eyes. My plan was to sit quietly and not interfere since I still wasn't exactly sure what the heck had gone wrong, but I couldn't help myself when I saw Harry attack my innocent father and my Past Self joining in. I launched myself off the bed only to find myself flying through the air as Past Harry sent a strong kick to my side. I mewled quietly as I felt a few of my ribs break, but adrenaline was still pumping through the feline form and I hardly noticed when I saw that Past Harry and I had our wands pointed at Sirius as my friend accused him. I rushed over and landed on my father's chest, trying not to dig my claws into his skin. He stared into my eyes and to my surprise, they lit up in recognition. Could it be possible he knew it was really me? I turned around and stared Harry down, hoping that some part of him would understand the thoughts I was sending towards him. But of course that was silly. Nevertheless, something must have been translated because neither Past or I made a move to kill Sirius.

Then Lupin was there and taking possession of my friend's wands while I stayed watchful from my spot on my father's chest; which was surprisingly warm. Unfortunately, I fell to the floor with a painful thud as Lupin helped my father to stand. I crawled back to the bed, hopped back up, then began to lick my wounds on instinct, not that it did much good.

I sat there quietly flicking my tail back and forth as I observed Past Hermione revealing Lupin's werewolf secret. Then Harry was shouting again and father was sinking down onto the bed. I made my way over sat on his lap, purring. I mrrted in laughter as I saw Ron freak out and edge away from us. I purred louder as my father began to stroke my fur between his hands. His movements were rhythmic and relaxing - I was about to close my eyes and fall asleep when I saw Scabbers emerge from Ron's pocket. I stood up on Sirius's leg and hissed angrily. He patted my head reassuringly but he was glaring at the rat with even more hatred than I was. I tried to pounce but my father held me tight in his arms. I looked at him but he just raised one eyebrow and pried me off of him and set me on the bed - then lunged at Scabbers himself. I shook my car head back and forth - what a hypocrite. It was fine for him to attack the filthy creature but when I wanted to, it wasn't? I was about to try and go after the rat again when I noticed my Past Self glancing back and forth from me to my father and decided it was best to stay put. I was mental enough as it was without the additional potential repercussions of time travel!

The next thing I knew, I was being picked up by myself - if that made any sense at all? Maybe I was going crazy. Maybe this was all some crazy dream and I would wake up only to discover that I'd fallen asleep while studying for the end of year exams.

I watched Scabbers' every move from where I was perched in my arms - ok, I'm definitely going crazy. I tried not to think of my doomed sanity as I listened to Lupin tell his story; all the while, my eyes never leaving the rat, not even when the door opened on it's own and my godfather walked into the room. But I was distracted eventually when Past Sev started taunting Lupin once more and threatening to send him and my father to Azkaban. I couldn't bear the thought of losing Sirius again...not after I'd just found out the truth...

I finally managed to catch myself unawares and escape my tight grasp - yup, no doubt about it, I'm definitely insane - just as Sev sent ropes to bind Lupin. I yowled in triumph and pain as I landed on the floor and streaked off towards Sev and Lupin. Then I jumped back into my father's arms as my godfather turned back towards Sirius with his wand raised.

I hissed as Sev shouted at Hermione and our eyes met. I stared Snape down. Then Harry started yelling again but I continued to stare at my godfather, begging him not to hurt my father. As Harry had done earlier, he paused and looked like he was about to lower his wand. Then he caught sight of Sirius and my Past Self sent him flying across the room. I winced as I watched him slam into the wall for the second time that night.

I went back to my father and was lifted back into his tender arms as he started to explain how he'd known Scabbers was Peter.

Then Harry was back to yelling at my father again and I rolled my cat eyes as I waited for the whole truth to come out and for my friend to accept Sirius's innocence. Father set me back down on the bed gently as he picked up Sev's wand and moved to join Lupin.

Then Wormtail was in the room and begging for Lupin and Sirius not to kill him. I hacked up a fur ball and hissed as I saw him wink at me again - the creep!

Then we were headed out and I jumped up and led our group out, my tail tall and proud behind me as I padded down the tunnel. As we neared the opening I slowed down, dreading what happened next.

I kept close to Ron, Lupin, and Pettigrew as they exited the Willow. I was determined not to let him escape this time! I ignored Lupin's transformation and kept my eyes on Pettirgrew but I couldn't help but look towards my father when I heard him whimper as Lupin's teeth bit into him.

Though only for a few seconds, my inattentiveness had been just enough time for Peter to grab Lupin's discarded wand and transform. I howled in fury and chased off after him into the darkness. I followed him into the Forbidden Forest but even with my night vision, it was too hard to keep track of him and he disappeared. I cried out my frustration into the night and was joined by the cries of a big black dog and an angry werewolf.

A rustling from behind made me twist around - jarring my poor ribs at the same time - as I Harry's voice.

"Where are you? Dad, come on—"

The next thing I knew I was flying forward and crashing into the tree in front of me. I groaned in pain and opened my eyes slowly to find myself staring into a pair of yellow ones. I blinked in confusion as Crookshanks licked my face before turning and disappearing into the shadows. I slowly stood up on shaky legs and made my way over to the bush where I'd heard the voice.

Harry's POV

I was just about to go up to Buckbeak and bow when I realized that Kat was nowhere to be seen. Where the bloody hell had she gone! I turned back to Hermione but she waved at me frantically. There was no time to wonder where my best friend had gone.

I managed to lead Buckbeak away in time and Hermione and I ducked into the forest. We sat there and waited; watching Buckbeak enjoy freedom as the minutes ticked by. I told Hermione about what I thought I'd seen before passing out but I could tell she wasn't sure whether I'd gone crazy or whether to believe me. I wasn't sure either - but I wished Kat were here. She would have known what to say! She always did!

\----------------------------------------------

The lake was coming nearer and nearer, but there was no sign of anybody. On the opposite bank, I could see tiny glimmers of silver—Kat and my own attempts at a Patronus—

There was a bush at the very edge of the water. I threw myself behind it, peering desperately through the leaves. On the opposite bank, the glimmers of silver were suddenly extinguished. A terrified excitement shot through me...any moment now—

"Come on!" I muttered, staring about. "Where are you? Dad, come on—"

There was a rustling from behind me and I held my breath as a figure stepped out.

"Harry?"

"Katrina? Where in Merlin's name have you been!" I stared at her as she slowly came to stand by me and looked out across the lake. I could see she was just as anxious as I was as she realized what was about to happen.

"I'll explain later," she whispered as we both waited impatiently to see who would come to rescue the Past Us.

But no one came. I raised my head to look at the circle of dementors across the lake. One of them was lowering its hood. It was time for the rescuers to appear—but no one was coming to help this time—

And then it hit me—I looked at Kat as we came to the same conclusion together. We hadn't seen our parents, we had seen ourselves—

We flung out from behind the bush and pulled out our wands.

"EXPECTO PATRONUM!" we yelled at the same time.

And out of the end of our wands burst, not shapeless clouds of mist, but two blinding, dazzling, silver animals. I screwed up my eyes, trying to see what they were. They looked like horses. They were galloping silently away from us, across the black surface of the lake.

I saw then lower their heads and charge at the swarming dementors... Now galloping around and around the black shapes on the ground, and the dementors were falling back, scattering, retreating into the darkness...They were gone.

The Patronuss turned. They were cantering back toward Kat and I across the still surface of the water. They weren't horses...nor were they unicorns, either. One was a stag...the other a proud lioness. Both shining brightly as the moon above...they were coming back to us...

They stopped on the bank. Their hooves made no mark on the soft ground as they stared at Kat and I with their large, silver eyes. Slowly, they bowed their heads. And I realized...

"Prongs," I whispered.

But as my trembling fingertips stretched toward the creature, it vanished along with the lioness.

I stood there, hand still outstretched. Then, with a great leap of my heart, I heard hooves behind me—I whirled around and saw Hermione dashing toward us, dragging Buckbeak behind her.

"What did you do? she said fiercely. "You said you were only going to keep a lookout! Kat! Where did you come from? Where were you?"

"We just saved all our lives...," I said. "Get behind here—behind this bush—We'll explain."

Hermione listened to what had just happened with her mouth open yet again.

"Did anyone see you?"

"Yes, haven't you been listening? I saw me but I thought I was my dad! It's okay!"

"Harry, I can't believe it...You and Kat conjured up Patronuses that drove away all those dementors! That's very, very advanced magic..."

"I knew I could do it this time," I said, "because I'd already done it...Does that make sense?"

"Yes," Kat said immediately. She then finally told us about what had happened to her and we stared at her in shock. It wa so unbelievable...and yet...it explained so much, especially after she transformed into a lion cub in front of us. Even Hermione didn't have anything to say after that.

"Harry, look at Sev!"

Together we peered around the bush at the other bank. Snape had regained consciousness. He was conjuring stretchers and lifting the limp forms of the Past Harry, Hermione, Kat, and Black onto them. A fifth stretcher, no doubt bearing Ron, was already floating at his side. Then, wand held out in front of him, he moved them away toward the castle.

"Right, it's nearly time," said Hermione tensely, looking at her watch. "We've got about forty-five minutes until Dumbledore locks the door to the hospital wing. We've got to rescue Sirius and get back into the ward before anybody realizes we're missing..."

Katrina's POV

We waited, watching the moving clouds reflected in the lake, while the bush next to us whispered in the breeze. Buckbeak, bored, was ferreting for worms again.

"D' you reckon he's up there yet?" said Harry, checking his watch. He looked up at the castle and began counting the windows to the right of the West Tower.

"Look!" Hermione whispered. "Who's that? Someone's coming back out of the castle!"

I stared through the darkness. The man was hurrying across the grounds, toward one of the entrances. Something shiny glinted in his belt.

"Macnair!" said Harry. "The executioner! He's gone to get the dementors! This is it, Kat, Hermione—"

I put my hands on Buckbeak's back and Harry gave me a leg up then helped Hermione before climbing on himself.

"Ready?" I whispered to Hermione. "You'd better hold on to Harry," I told her, she looked like she was about to pass out from fear.

I nudged Buckbeak's sides with my heels.

Buckbeak soared straight into the dark air. I gripped his flanks with my knees, feeling the great wings rising powerfully beneath us. Hermione was holding Harry very tight around the waist; I chuckled as I heard her muttering, "Oh, no—I don't like this—oh, I really don't like this—"

I urged Buckbeak forward. We were gliding quietly toward the upper floors of the castle...I pulled hard on the left-hand side of the rope, and Buckbeak turned. I was trying to count the windows flashing past—

"Whoa!" I said, pulling backward as hard as I could.

Buckbeak slowed down and we found ourselves at a stop, unless you counted the fact that we kept rising up and down several feet as the hippogriff beat his wings to remain airborne.

"He's there!" I said, spotting Sirius as we rose up beside the window. I reached out, and as Buckbeak's wings fell, was able to tap sharply on the glass.

My father looked up. I saw his jaw drop. He leapt from his chair, hurried to the window and tried to open it, but it was locked.

"Stand back!" I called to him, and I took out my wand.

"Alohomora!"

The window sprang open.

"How—how—?" said Sirius weakly, staring at the hippogriff. I watched him pause and stare more intensely at the creature but we didn't have time for this!

"Get on—there's not much time," I told him, gripping Buckbeak firmly on either side of his sleek neck to hold him steady. "You've got to get out of here—the dementors are coming—Macnair's gone to get them."

Sirius placed a hand on either side of the window frame and heaved his head and shoulders out of it. It was very lucky he was so thin. In seconds, he had managed to fling one leg over Buckbeak's back and pull himself onto the hippogriff behind Hermione.

"Okay, Buckbeak, up!" I said, shaking the rope. "Up to the tower—come on!"

The hippogriff gave one sweep of its mighty wings and we were soaring upward again, high as the top of the West Tower. Buckbeak landed with a clatter on the battlements, and Harry, Hermione, and I slid off him at once.

"Sirius, you'd better go, quick," Harry panted. "They'll reach Flitwick's office any moment, they'll find out you're gone."

Buckbeak pawed the ground, tossing his sharp head.

"What happened to the other boy? Ron?" croaked Sirius.

"He's going to be okay. He's still out of it, but Madam Pomfrey says she'll be able to make him better. Quick—go—"

But my father was still staring down at Harry and I.

"How can I ever thank—"

"GO!" We shouted together. I turned and as I did so - I met Buckbeak's eyes. And I knew once and for all that I had moved into the looney bin - for I found myself staring into twinkling blue eyes again. Yet - it seemed different than with Crookshanks. I stepped closer and touched Buckbeak's face. How had I never noticed how blue his eyes were? I'd spent all of my time with Hagrid, Hermione, Buckbeak, and Drake this year and I'd failed to notice this detail!

"Mom?" I whispered as I touched his face. But this was ridiculous, there was no way it was her. 1) she was dead and 2) Buckbeak was the wrong gender! I slapped my forehead to knock some sense back into. I was seriously beginning to worry that I was going looney like the others Minnie had listed when she first gave us our time turners.

I stepped back as Sirius wheeled Buckbeak around, facing the open sky.

"We'll see each other again," he said. "You are—truly your father's son, Harry...princess, thank you for your help," I blinked at him as his eyes twinkled mischievously.

"How did you know it was me and not the real Crookshanks?"

"The number of times I saw Eliana use her time turner to go to her classes...I got used to her being in more than once place at a time, and I saw her transformations countless times."

"But what happened! How did I even do that?"

"There's no time, Kat! Sirius you have to leave now!" Hermione squeaked apologetically as she glanced down at her watch.

"My angelous paulo - I love you...never forget that!"

He squeezed Buckbeak's sides with his heels. We jumped back as the enormous wings rose once more...The hippogriff took off into the air...He and his rider became smaller and smaller as gazed after them...then a cloud drifted across the moon...They were gone.

"I love you too, papa..." I whispered as I watched my father vanish into the night.

(Don't worry all points of contention/Kat's cat experience will be explained in the last and final chapter - but it's going to have to wait till later in the day cuz it's 2:16am and I can barely keep my eyes open so if I missed any grammar/spelling mistakes I do apologize! As always, I hope you enjoyed and feel free to share, like, add etc and comment your thoughts on this newest chapter! Once again I sorry if it's a little off - I'm 3/4 asleep right now!)


	22. Owl Post Again

(Omg can't believe I'm finally done with book 3. I stand here before you all waiting for you to bow down and kiss the feet of thy speedy-update Queen! Finished the entire last half of the book in a manner of like a week! Don't quote me on that but point is - there better be some major bowing and boot kissing right about now! Jk - but I still rule. Make sure to read the end notes for a further explanation of some of the things that; as audience members who know the truth about Kat, you are privy to. Sorry if any of you didn't like the whole Kat/Crookshanks twist lol no feedback yet so not sure how to interpret it but I liked it and that's all that matters :p - hope you enjoy this last chapter!)

Katrina's POV

"Harry! Katrina!"

Hermione was tugging at my sleeve, staring at her watch. "We've got exactly ten minutes to get back down to the hospital wing without anybody seeing us—before Dumbledore locks the door—"

"Okay," I said, wrenching my gaze from the sky and trying not to focus on my heart breaking. "let's go..."

We slipped through the doorway behind us and down a tightly spiraling stone staircase. As we reached the bottom of it, we heard voices. We flattened ourselves against the wall and listened. It sounded like Fudge and Sev. They were walking quickly along the corridor at the foot of the staircase.

"...only hope Dumbledore's not going to make difficulties," Snape was saying. "The Kiss will be performed immediately?"

"As soon as Macnair returns with the dementors. This whole Black affair has been highly embarrassing. I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to informing the Daily Prophet that we've got him at last...I daresay they'll want to interview you, Snape...and once young Harry's back in his right mind, I expect he'll want to tell the Prophet exactly how you saved him..."

I heard Harry clench his teeth as we caught a glimpse of Sev's smirk as he and Fudge passed our hiding place. Their footsteps died away. We waited a few moments to make sure they'd really gone, then started to run in the opposite direction. Down one staircase, then another, along a new corridor—then we heard a cackling ahead.

"Peeves!" I muttered, grabbing Hermione's wrist. "In here!"

We tore into a deserted classroom to our left just in time. Peeves seemed to be bouncing along the corridor in boisterous good spirits, laughing his head off.

"Oh, he's horrible," whispered Hermione, her ear to the door. "I bet he's all excited because the dementors are going to finish off Sirius..." Peeves had never bothered me much and usually left me alone, but I had no doubt that Hermione was right, which made me feel peeved (:p). She checked her watch. "Three minutes!"

We waited until Peeves's gloating voice had faded into the distance, then slid back out of the room and broke into a run again.

"Hermione—what'll happen—if we don't get back inside—before Dumbledore locks the door?" Harry panted.

"I don't want to think about it!" Hermione moaned, checking her watch again. "One minute!"

We had reached the end of the corridor with the hospital wing entrance. "Okay—I can hear Dumbledore," said Hermione tensely. "Come on!"

We crept along the corridor. The door opened. Grandfather's back appeared.

"I am going to lock you in," we heard him saying. "It is five minutes to midnight. Three turns should do it. Good luck."

My grandfather backed out of the room, closed the door, and took out his wand to magically lock it. Panicking, Harry, Hermione, and I ran forward. Dumbledore looked up, and a wide smile appeared under the long silver mustache. "Well?" he said quietly.

"We did it!" said Harry breathlessly. "Sirius has gone, on Buckbeak..."

Dumbledore beamed at us.

"Well done. I think—" He listened intently for any sound within the hospital wing. "Yes, I think you've gone too—get inside—I'll lock you in—"

We slipped back inside the dormitory. It was empty except for Ron, who was still lying motionless in the end bed. As the lock clicked behind us, a white hot pain flashed throughout my body and I cried out in pain as I collapsed to the floor; my ribs feeling like someone had cast a stinging hex on them...I could barely breath. My vision blurred and I could just make out Harry's form as I heard Madam Pomfrey come striding back out of her office.

"Did I hear the headmaster leaving? Am I allowed to look after my patients now? Katrina, oh dear! What happened to her!"

"She tried to get out of bed and collapsed!" Harry said quickly - only a half lie.

The world around me turned dark as I felt Madam Pomfrey's hands checking me over.

I yelped painfully as she brushed against my ribs and then started coughing as I tried to draw air into my lungs. It was no use. I closed my eyes and faded away as I waited for death to take me.

Harry's POV

"What's wrong with her!" I cried out as I watched my best friend's body go limp. She had seemed perfectly fine before now!

"It would seem she broke a number of ribs, but I can't see how. I'd say she was kicked by something heavy. Her back is bruised as well - so whatever it was must have sent her flying. I can't understand it though, she was fine the last time I checked on her!"

Hermione and I shared a look as we remembered what Kat had told us had happened to her and reflected on the number of times Kat-Crookshanks had been kicked and sent flying that night. I felt my stomach churn as I remembered I had landed a solid kick of my own earlier. Was I partly to blame? I helped lift Kat back onto her bed and watched as Madam Pomfrey bent over her pale body and waved her wand.

I sighed in relief as Kat's breathing went back to normal and a little bit of color returned to her cheeks. It was then that Madam turned angrily to Hermione and I and pointed at our beds.

We thought it best to accept our chocolate quietly and got back into bed. Madam Pomfrey stood over us, making sure we ate it. But I could hardly swallow. I kept glancing at the bed next to me where Kat was peacefully resting as Hermione and I waited, listening, our nerves jangling...

And then, as we both took a fourth piece of chocolate from Madam Pomfrey, we heard a distant roar of fury echoing from somewhere above us...

"What was that?" said Madam Pomfrey in alarm.

Now we could hear angry voices, growing louder and louder. Madam Pomfrey was staring at the door.

"Really—they'll wake everybody up! What do they think they're doing?"

I was trying to hear what the voices were saying. They were drawing nearer—

"He must have Disapparated, Severus. We should have left somebody in the room with him. When this gets out—"

"HE DIDN'T DISAPPARATE!" Snape roared, now very close at hand. "YOU CAN'T APPARATE OR DISAPPARATE INSIDE THIS CASTLE! THIS—HAS—SOMETHING—TO—DO—WITH—POTTER!"

"Severus—be reasonable—Harry has been locked up—"

BAM.

The door of the hospital wing burst open.

Fudge, Snape, and Dumbledore came striding into the ward. Dumbledore alone looked calm. Indeed, he looked as though he was quite enjoying himself, though I saw him glance briefly towards Katrina to check that she was alright. Fudge appeared angry. But Snape was beside himself.

"OUT WITH IT, POTTER!" he bellowed. "WHAT DID YOU DO?"

"Professor Snape!" shrieked Madam Pomfrey. "Control yourself!"

"See here, Snape, be reasonable," said Fudge. "This door's been locked, we just saw—"

"THEY HELPED HIM ESCAPE, I KNOW IT!" Snape howled, pointing at Hermione and I. His face was twisted; spit was flying from his mouth.

"Calm down, man!" Fudge barked. "You're talking nonsense!"

"YOU DON'T KNOW POTTER!" shrieked Snape. "HE DID IT, I KNOW HE DID IT—"

"That will do, Severus," said Dumbledore quietly. "Think about what you are saying. This door has been locked since I left the ward ten minutes ago. Madam Pomfrey, have these students left their beds?"

"Of course not!" said Madam Pomfrey, bristling. "I would have heard them!"

"Well, there you have it, Severus," said Dumbledore calmly. "Unless you are suggesting that Harry and Hermione are able to be in two places at once, I'm afraid I don't see any point in troubling them further." I didn't fail to notice that Kat hadn't been mentioned but I figured it was for the best. She had been through too much tonight to have to worry about getting into trouble as well.

Snape stood there, seething, staring from Fudge, who looked thoroughly shocked at his behavior, to Dumbledore, whose eyes were twinkling behind his glasses. Snape whirled about, robes swishing behind him, and stormed out of the ward.

"Fellow seems quite unbalanced," said Fudge, staring after him. "I'd watch out for him if I were you, Dumbledore."

"Oh, he's not unbalanced," said Dumbledore quietly. "He's just suffered a severe disappointment."

"He's not the only one!" puffed Fudge. "The Daily Prophet's going to have a field day! We had Black cornered and he slipped through our fingers yet again! All I need now is for the story of that hippogriff's escape to get out, and I'll be a laughingstock! Well...I'd better go and notify the Ministry..."

"And the dementors?" said Dumbledore. "They'll be removed from the school, I trust?"

"Oh yes, they'll have to go," said Fudge, running his fingers distractedly through his hair. "Never dreamed they'd attempt to administer the Kiss on innocent children...Completely out of control...no, I'll have them packed off back to Azkaban tonight...Perhaps we should think about dragons at the school entrance..."

"Hagrid and Katrina would like that," said Dumbledore, smiling at Hermione. and I. As he and Fudge left the dormitory, Madam Pomfrey hurried to the door and locked it again. Muttering angrily to herself, she headed back to her office.

There was a low moan from the other end of the ward. Ron had woken up. We could see him sitting up, rubbing his head, looking around.

"What—what happened?" he groaned. "Harry? Why are we in here? Where's Sirius? Where's Lupin? What's going on?"

Hermione and I looked at each other.

"You explain," I said, helping myself to some more chocolate.

When Ron, Hermione, and I left the hospital wing at noon the next day, it was to find an almost deserted castle. The sweltering heat and the end of the exams meant that everyone was taking full advantage of another Hogsmeade visit. Neither Ron nor Hermione felt like going, however, so we wandered onto the grounds; Madam Pomfrey had refused to let us in to see Kat. We walked around, still talking about the extraordinary events of the previous night and wondering where Sirius and Buckbeak were now. Sitting near the lake, watching the giant squid waving its tentacles lazily above the water, I lost the thread of the conversation as I looked across to the opposite bank. The stag and lioness had galloped toward Kat and I from there just last night...

A shadow fell across us and we looked up to see a very bleary-eyed Hagrid, mopping his sweaty face with one of his tablecloth-sized handkerchiefs and beaming down at us.

"Know I shouldn' feel happy, after wha' happened las' night," he said. "I mean, Black escapin' again, an' everythin'—but guess what?"

"What?" We said, pretending to look curious.

"Beaky! He escaped! He's free! Bin celebratin' all night!"

"That's wonderful!" said Hermione, giving Ron a reproving look because he looked as though he was close to laughing.

"Yeah...can't've tied him up properly," said Hagrid, gazing happily out over the grounds. "I was worried this mornin', mind...thought he mighta met Professor Lupin on the grounds, but Lupin says he never ate anythin' las' night..."

"What?" I said quickly.

"Blimey, haven' yeh heard?" said Hagrid, his smile fading a little. He lowered his voice, even though there was nobody in sight. "Er—Snape told all the Slytherins this mornin'...Thought everyone'd know by now...Professor Lupin's a werewolf, see. An' he was loose on the grounds las' night...He's packin' now, o' course."

"He's packing?" I said, alarmed. "Why?"

"Leavin', isn' he?" said Hagrid, looking surprised that I had to ask. "Resigned firs' thing this mornin'. Says he can't risk it happenin' again."

I scrambled to my feet.

"I'm going to see him," I said to Ron and Hermione.

"But if he's resigned—"

"—doesn't sound like there's anything we can do—"

"I don't care. I still want to see him. I'll meet up with you later.

Lupin's office door was open. He had already packed most of his things. The grindylow's empty tank stood next to his battered old suitcase, which was open and nearly full. Lupin was bending over something on his desk and looked up only when I knocked on the door.

"I saw you coming," said Lupin, smiling. He pointed to the parchment he had been poring over. It was the Marauder's Map.

"I just saw Hagrid," I said. "And he said you'd resigned. It's not true, is it?"

"I'm afraid it is," said Lupin. He started opening his desk drawers and taking out the contents.

"Why?" I asked. "The Ministry of Magic don't think you were helping Sirius, do they?"

Lupin crossed to the door and closed it behind me.

"No. Professor Dumbledore managed to convince Fudge that I was trying to save your lives." He sighed. "That was the final straw for Severus. I think the loss of the Order of Merlin hit him hard. So he—er—accidentally let slip that I am a werewolf this morning at breakfast."

"You're not leaving just because of that!" I said.

Lupin smiled wryly.

"This time tomorrow, the owls will start arriving from parents...They will not want a werewolf teaching their children, Harry. And after last night, I see their point. I could have bitten any of you...That must never happen again."

"You're the best Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher we've ever had!" I stated. "Don't go!"

Lupin shook his head and didn't speak. He carried on emptying his drawers. Then, while I was trying to think of a good argument to make him stay, Lupin said, "From what the headmaster told me this morning, you and Katrina saved a lot of lives last night, Harry. If I'm proud of anything I've done this year, it's how much you two have learned...Tell me about your Patronuses.

"How d'you know about that?" I said, distracted.

"What else could have driven the dementors back?"

I told Lupin what had happened. When I'd finished, Lupin was smiling again.

"Yes, your father was always a stag when he transformed," he said. "You guessed right...that's why we called him Prongs...and Katrina started transforming into a lion cub after she was only a week old...it was so adorable..." I stared at Lupin as his eyes misted over.

"You...you knew Kat when she was little?" I said in surprise.

"Yes, yes I did. I knew both of you. I came over to your parent's house whenever it was safe to do so back then. Had to keep an eye on my little goddaughter didn't I? The amount of trouble you and her managed get into astounded us all!"

"Hang on, did you just say goddaughter? I though Snape was her godfather?"

"He is...but so was I. Snape was Eliana's best friend - his only real friend. It was only natural that she name him; along with James, Lilly, Sirius, and I, as her child's god family. In turn, Eliana was your godmother, and Sirius, as you know, your godfather."

"But why..."

"Why were we all named guardians? Come on Harry, think about it. Dumbledore told me you found out who her father really is last year. Lilly, James, Sirius, and I were the only other people besides Dumbledore that Eliana trusted with the truth - I can only imagine what would have happened if she'd told Peter. Truth be told, I don't think Eliana had ever liked him much...anyways, considering who Kat's father is, we thought it best that she have as many sources of light to watch out for her. Please don't think you were left out! That wasn't it at all! We just didn't think that you would ever..."

"I understand, Lupin. Really, I do. There's no need to explain." I told him hurriedly as I saw him struggle to try to find the right words. "I wouldn't have had it any other way. You're right. Kat needs good people in her life to keep her grounded."

Lupin looked at me shrewdly as I said this. "And I couldn't think of anyone better than you, Harry."

Lupin threw his last few books into his case, closed the desk drawers; giving my red cheeks time to fade away, before turning back to me once more.

"Here—I brought this from the Shrieking Shack last night," he said, handing me back the Invisibility Cloak. "And..." He hesitated, then held out the Marauder's Map too. "I am no longer your teacher, so I don't feel guilty about giving you back this as well. It's no use to me, and I daresay you, Ron, Hermione, and Kat will find uses for it. Just try not to get my goddaughter into too much trouble! The two of you get into enough as it is."

I took the map and grinned. "I'll do my best. You told me Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs would've wanted to lure us out of school...you said they'd have thought it was funny."

"And so we would have," said Lupin, now reaching down to close his case. "I have no hesitation in saying that James and Sirius would have been highly disappointed if their children had never found any of the secret passages out of the castle."

There was a knock on the door. I hastily stuffed the Marauder's Map and the Invisibility Cloak into my pocket.

It was Professor Dumbledore. He didn't look surprised to see me there.

"Your carriage is at the gates, Remus," he said.

"Thank you, Headmaster."

Lupin picked up his old suitcase and the empty grindylow tank.

"Well—good-bye, Harry," he said, smiling. "It has been a real pleasure teaching you. I feel sure we'll meet again sometime. Headmaster, there is no need to see me to the gates, I can manage...Harry, tell my goddaughter I'm sorry about last night...and..." Lupin let the end of his sentence die unfinished.

I had the impression that Lupin wanted to leave as quickly as possible.

"Good-bye, then, Remus," said Dumbledore soberly. Lupin shifted the grindylow tank slightly so that he and Dumbledore could shake hands. Then, with a final nod to me and a swift smile, Lupin left the office.

I sat down in his vacated chair, staring glumly at the floor. I heard the door close and looked up. Dumbledore was still there.

"Why so miserable, Harry?" he said quietly. "You should be very proud of yourself after last night."

"It didn't make any difference," I said bitterly. "Pettigrew got away."

"Didn't make any difference?" said Dumbledore quietly. "It made all the difference in the world, Harry. You helped uncover the truth. You saved an innocent man from a terrible fate."

Terrible. Something stirred in my memory. Greater and more terrible than ever before...Professor Trelawney's prediction!

"Professor Dumbledore—yesterday, when I was having my Divination exam, Professor Trelawney went very—very strange."

"Indeed?" said Dumbledore. "Er—stranger than usual, you mean?"

"Yes...her voice went all deep and her eyes rolled and she said...she said Voldemort's servant was going to set out to return to him before midnight... She said the servant would help him come back to power along with his child...which...which would be Kat..." I stared up at Dumbledore. "And then she sort of became normal again, and she couldn't remember anything she'd said. Was it—was she making a real prediction?

Dumbledore looked mildly impressed.

"Do you know, Harry, I think she might have been," he said thoughtfully. "Who'd have thought it? That brings her total of real predictions up to two. I should offer her a pay raise..."

"But—" I looked at him, aghast. How could Dumbledore take this so calmly?

"But—Kat and I stopped Sirius and Professor Lupin from killing Pettigrew! That makes it our fault if Voldemort comes back!"

"It does not," said Dumbledore quietly. "Hasn't your experience with the Time-Turner taught you anything, Harry? The consequences of our actions are always so complicated, so diverse, that predicting the future is a very difficult business indeed...Professor Trelawney, bless her, is living proof of that...You two did a very noble thing, in saving Pettigrew's life."

"But if he helps Voldemort back to power—!"

"Pettigrew owes his life to you. The two of you have sent Voldemort a deputy who is in your debt...When one wizard saves another wizard's life, it creates a certain bond between them...and I'm much mistaken if Voldemort wants his servant in the debt of Harry Potter."

"I don't want a connection with Pettigrew!" I said. "He betrayed our parents!"

"This is magic at its deepest, its most impenetrable, Harry. But trust me... the time may come when you two will be very glad you saved Pettigrew's life."

I couldn't imagine when that would be. Dumbledore looked as though he knew what I was thinking.

"I knew your father very well, both at Hogwarts and later, Harry," he said gently. "He would have saved Pettigrew too, I am sure of it."

I looked up at him. Dumbledore wouldn't laugh—I could tell Dumbledore...

"I thought it was my dad who'd conjured my Patronus. I mean, when I saw myself across the lake...I thought I was seeing him and my mom...and I know Kat thought she saw her mum and Sirius.

"An easy mistake to make," said Dumbledore softly. "I expect you'll tire of hearing it, but you do look extraordinarily like James. Except for the eyes...you and Kat both have your mother's eyes."

I shook my head.

"It was stupid, thinking it was him," I muttered. "I mean, I knew he was dead."

"You think the dead we loved ever truly leave us? You think that we don't recall them more clearly than ever in times of great trouble? Your father is alive in you, Harry, and shows himself most plainly when you have need of him. How else could you produce that particular Patronus? Prongs and Aquila rode again last night.

It took a moment for me to realize what Dumbledore had said.

"Last night Sirius told me all about how they became Animagi," said Dumbledore, smiling. "An extraordinary achievement—not least, keeping it quiet from me. And then I remembered the most unusual form your Patronus took, when it charged Mr. Malfoy down at your Quidditch match against Ravenclaw. You know, Harry, in a way, you and Kat did see James and Eliana last night..."

"But...Kat's Patronus isn't an eagle...so what do you mean her mother was there...Kat told us she was Crookshanks, not her mom - which I still don't understand!"

"I will do my best to explain, however, I feel it is only right to have this conversation with my granddaughter as well. I was going to go visit her after I notified Lupin his carriage had arrived. Would you like to join me? I'm sure Kat would love to see you."

I nodded and we exited the classroom and made our way up to the hospital wing together.

Katrina's POV

I woke up later the next afternoon to see my grandfather and Harry sitting next to my bed. I sat up quickly but groaned as my ribs stretched painfully. Madam Pomfrey had managed to heal me up good as new but she said I would feel sore for a few days.

"Did we do it? Is my father free?" I saw Dumbledore and Harry glance at each other before my grandfather responded but I decided to ignore it. I just wanted to know wether we had succeeded or not.

"Yes, Katrina, dear. He and Buckbeak managed to escape and are now on the run. I have to say, you two did a splendid job!"

"Three...don't forget Hermione!" I told my grandfather.

"Of course, my mistake," grandfather said, bowing his head in my direction.

"While we are on the subject...what the bloody hell happened to me! How did I become Hermione's cat...I'm not actually Crookshanks! Am I? I mean, he's a male cat. I don't want to be a male cat! Girls are way better than boys!" I added, as I grinned at Harry.  
" - and why does Buckbeak have my eyes - your eyes - our eyes?" I frowned as I tried to figure that last part out.

"Well, to answer your first question...no, of course you are not Crookshanks. He is a plain old cat - though a smart one at that. It appears that you are an Animorphmagus my dear."

"A what now?"

"An Animorphmagus. A cross between a Metamorphmagus and an Animagus. Someone who has the ability to morph into any animal or change their physical appearance. There's only ever been one other in existence before you - but her story is a tail for another time."

"Okayyy...still not really understanding...I know an Animagus has only one animal form, so if I can do more than one, wouldn't that just make me a Metamorphmagus? Or both? Why is there a third category?"

"Well, as you said, an Animagus is a witch or wizard who can turn into one particular animal - however, this animal usually reflects their inner spirit and influences the shape of their Patronus. As such, they can only transform into the animal that best represents their soul. In contrast, a Metamorphmagus is a witch or wizard who can change their features at will without a spell, wand, or potion. However, their powers pertain to simple human features. Someone who is both a Metamorphmagus and an Animagus would be able to change their human features and also powerful enough to transform into an animal, but they would not be able to transform their whole body into more than one animal, as once again, any full animal form represents who they are and rarely changes. I've heard of some individuals - like the new Auror Nymphadora Tonks - who are powerful enough to easily change one or two features to resemble that of any animal - once they become an Animagus, but as I said, they are still be limited to just one full animal form.

"I still don't understand how being a cross between the two would allow me to take Crookshanks's form. I mean I didn't just transform into the cat version of myself, I became one that already existed. How is that possible? And what is it exactly about a Animorphmagus that makes them so rare that there's only one other person like me?"

"Unfortunately, you will have to wait a little longer before I can explain to you in more detail what happened with Crookshanks and the full answer to your second question would take far too long. Do not worry yourself over the parts you do not understand. I can, of course, answer your second question with the simplified version.

"An Animorphmagus uses Metamorphmagus power as a means of turning what might otherwise be considered an Animagus form, into whatever animal is desired.

"But I still don't understand why a Metamorphmagus who was also an Animagus couldn't just learn to use their power as you just described."

"As we discussed, in order to take on the form of an animal, a witch or wizard has to find a link to connect to that animal - which is why an Animagi's Patronus takes the same form; the two are the embodiment and animalistic representation of a witch or wizard's spirit. Just like the Patronus of any witch or wizard, if an Animagi were to experience something that changed them so drastically as to effect the core of their soul, it might change their animal form. But it is entirely different to be able to change animal form at will. An Animorphmagus; like you will become once you learn to control your powers, is therefore, not really an Animagi. You are not tied down to one animal like they are - as there is no one animal that embodies your entire essence. In addition, a Metamorphmagus inherits the ability to change form from one or both parents - it is an innate ability that they have and doesn't require much mental power to pull off. Therefore, in order to be both a Metamorphamgus and an Animagus or even an Animorphmagus, a witch or wizard must first and foremost be a Metamorphmagus - it would not be possible for an Animagus to learn to be a Metamorphmagus, but the reverse could be true. A Metamorphmagus could learn to be an Animagus if their mind was strong enough to handle it. It takes a certain mental strength and awareness of the natural world to pull off the animal transformation. Most Metamorphmagi who have an Animagus form, do not have the type of spirit and soul that would be required to combine the two. Which is one explanation as to why there has only ever been one other individual like yourself. It's something that can only be created under the right circumstances. As I'm sure you will find out once you start experimenting, even for you, a full animal transformation will be far more difficult than if you were to change only one or two features like any other Metamorphmagus.

"That seems to make enough sense, though it didn't seem like a simplified explanation if you ask me! But can you not at least try to explain what happened with Crookshanks! I still don't understand how it was possible for me to become something that already existed. I would think that any animal I changed into would be me, just in a different form, like what happened when I turned into the lion cub! It's not like I became one that already had a whole other life!"

"Well, the best way I can explain it for now is that you entered Crookshanks's mind using legillimancy - which linked with your Animorphmagus power. You might say that once you were inside his mind, you became so caught up in the cat's thoughts that you got swept away in the desire to become him; which pulled the Animorphus powers out of you and allowed you to take the cat's form. Since you are far more powerful than you realize, just one passing thought was able to activate your powers even though you didn't know you had them at the time. And just so you know, while you will be able to shift your appearance to almost anything you desire, as the saying goes; the eyes are the windows to the soul. You will never be able to change them - no matter what or whose form you choose to take - the eyes will be yours - which I have to say - are beautiful - but maybe I'm being a tad biased. How unprofessional of me - I should really work on that." I stared at my grandfather as his blue eyes twinkled at me. He was crazier than I was...but I loved it. Did that make me the wacky one after all?

"I think I'm starting to understand. Just one last question. Why is my Patronus a lioness if I can shift into any animal and don't have a normal soul? Does that mean I could change it whenever I wanted as well?"

"That's the overall sense of it yes, but your soul is just as normal as anyone else's - it's just a little more...dynamic. Only you can answer whether or not your Patronus will change or whether you will stick with the lioness."

"Ok, it all makes sense I guess...no wait, hang on...I have one final question! You still haven't explained about Buckbeak. Am I going to use my Time Turner again to go back and turn into him as well? Because I don't see why I would need to...but his eyes looked like mine..."

"No, no you aren't. Unfortunately I cannot give you a definite answer, but I can give you my best guess, though some of the explanation will have to wait till you are ready to hear it as I've told you before. Will that satisfy you for now?" I nodded, since I knew my grandfather's guesses often turned out to be right and that he would tell me what I needed to know when the time was right.

"As I told you and Harry at the end of your first year, when Voldemort killed your mothers, it created a powerful protection charm. As you also know, when he tried to kill you and Harry, the killing curse rebounded. If I am right, the same happened to my daughter - the spell rebounded with the result that her soul was transferred to the closest and most compatible host it could find - Buckbeak. Being half-eagle and half-horse, the Hippogriff was the most suitable match."

"So then, my mother is alive?" I said excitedly. My grandfather's eyes teared up as he shook his head slowly.

"Unfortunately, no. The killing curse was strong enough to kill her mortal body - and thereby create the protection charm - it just wasn't strong enough to banish her soul entirely. She is not alive, nor is she dead. She is, for all intents and purposes, bonded with Buckbeak till the day he dies. When he does, then she will truly be gone as well."

Dumbledore stood up and looked down at me with misty eyes. "I'm sorry I can't offer you a more complete answer but there are many things I still don't know, and many that you are not ready to hear. Now I really must be off." With that said, he spun around and swept out of the room.

Harry and I sat there in silence for a time - neither of us knowing what to say and still trying to take in everything we had just heard. There was still so much that didn't make sense but I couldn't focus on that. I had to stick with what did make sense and work on controlling what I could instead of worrying about what I couldn't.

The minutes ticked by and still we sat quietly until I finally decided to speak up.

"Harry?"

"Yes, Kat?"

"I'm hungry!"

We both laughed loudly as Harry got up to go find Madam Pomfrey. He came back holding as much food as he could possibly carry. I ate it all. I smiled happily at my best friend as I licked the plate clean.

"Had enough?" He said, grinning at me.

"For now," I grinned back and set the plate on the bedside table.

"Hey, Harry, do you mind if I try something?"

"Sure?" Harry said slowly, not knowing what he was agreeing to. I chuckled evilly and enjoyed watching him squirm as he contemplated what doom was in store for him. It wasn't going to be THAT bad! I hoped...unless it went wrong, then maybe...

I shook my head and tried to empty my mind enough to think on single thought. I cracked an eye open slowly and was pleased when I saw that my vision had changed again. I looked down and saw golden fur. It had worked!

Harry's POV

I shifted nervously as I watched Kat sit cross-legged on the bed and close her eyes. What was she doing? Then I gasped. Sitting on the bed grinning happily at me, was the cutest lion cub I had ever seen - despite the sharp deadly teeth that were glinting at me.

I got out of my chair and slid onto the bed as I picked the creature up as gently as I could. Her twinkling blue eyes stared up at me the whole time and there was no doubt in my mind as to who it was.

I sat on the bed and played with Kat until the sun went down and the moon rose in the sky. I got us dinner and watched as she tore into her food with gusto, her sleek golden tail flicking back and forth the entire time.

After we had finished eating, it was time for bed. Kat was supposed to stay one more night in the hospital but she jumped to the floor and dashed over to the door and pawed at the handle. She was too small to reach it. She dashed back to me and tugged on my leg as she tried to drag me over to help.

I laughed and went over to yank the door open. Then I bent down and picked her up into my arms and headed off towards Gryffindor Tower. Ron looked at me and the creature in my arms with wide eyes. I quickly explained and he grinned at me as he climbed into his own bed. I frowned, not liking the knowing look he sent me as he glanced from me to Kat.

She hopped out of my arms and onto the bed and crooked a paw to signal that I should join her. I grinned at the recognizable gesture and got into bed. She squealed as I pulled the covers up but managed to get out of the way before I could trap her underneath them. I couldn't help but grin widely as she hissed at me, her tail high in the air.

I was lulled asleep that night by the sound of Kat purring quietly as the pleasant heat from her soft golden fur seeped through the covers and warmed my skin as she lay curled up on top of them.

\----------------------------------------------

Katrina's POV

Nobody at Hogwarts now knew the truth of what had happened the night that Sirius, Buckbeak, and Pettigrew had vanished except Harry, Ron, Hermione, myself, and grandfather. As the end of term approached, I heard many different theories about what had really happened, but none of them came close to the truth.

Malfoy was furious about Buckbeak. He was convinced that Hagrid had found a way of smuggling the hippogriff to safety, and seemed outraged that he and his father had been outwitted by a gamekeeper. Now that I knew Buckbeak carried a part of my mother's soul, I was even happier that we had managed to save him/her. Percy Weasley, meanwhile, had much to say on the subject of Sirius's escape.

"If I manage to get into the Ministry, I'll have a lot of proposals to make about Magical Law Enforcement!" he told the only person who would listen—his girlfriend, Penelope.

Though the weather was perfect, though the atmosphere was so cheerful, though we knew we had achieved the near impossible in helping Sirius to freedom, Harry and I had never approached the end of a school year in worse spirits.

We certainly weren't the only ones who were sorry to see Professor Lupin go. The whole of our Defense Against the Dark Arts class was miserable about his resignation. Harry had passed on Lupin's message and told me about my mother naming Lupin and his own mother and father as my guardians along with Sev. I felt so guilty for not knowing and not spending more time with him while I had the chance. Harry told me I was being crazy - that he was sure the four of us; me, Harry, Sirius, and Lupin, would be reunited soon enough and have plenty of time to make up for lost time. I was sure he was right, but I still felt sad that we wouldn't be moving in with each other over the summer like I'd thought.

"Wonder what they'll give us next year?" said Seamus Finnigan gloomily.

"Maybe a vampire," suggested Dean Thomas hopefully.

I sighed as I walked down the halls to find my friends; I had stopped by my room to drop my bag off. I tried to focus on being happy that classes were over and that my appetite had finally returned and that I was sleeping normally, but I couldn't help thinking about my father as I walked up the steps to the Gryffindor Tower.

For maybe half an hour, a glorious half hour, I had believed I would be living with Sirius and Harry from now on...my father and my best friend...And while no news of Sirius was definitely good news, because it meant he had successfully gone into hiding, I couldn't help feeling miserable when I thought of the home I might have had, and the fact that it was now impossible.

I climbed through the portrait hole and found my friends already sitting by the fire with letters in their hands.

The exam results had come in. I tore mine open nervously and looked at it. We then swapped and I got to read Hermione's. Then we swapped again and again till we'd all read each other's

We had all passed every subject. Harry and I were amazed that he had got through Potions. I had a shrewd suspicion that grandfather might have stepped in to stop Snape failing him on purpose. Sev's behavior toward Harry over the past week had been quite alarming. I wouldn't have thought it possible that Sev's dislike for him could increase, but it certainly had. A muscle twitched unpleasantly at the corner of Snape's thin mouth every time he looked at Harry, and he was constantly flexing his fingers, as though itching to place them around Harry's throat.

Percy had got his top-grade N.E.W.T.s and Fred and George had scraped a handful of O.W.L.s each. Gryffindor House, meanwhile, largely thanks to our spectacular performance in the Quidditch Cup, had won the House championship for the third year running. This meant that the end of term feast took place amid decorations of scarlet and gold, and that the Gryffindor table was the noisiest of the lot, as everybody celebrated.

"So what do you two ladies want to do to celebrate our last night?" Ron asked as we left the feast and headed back to the common room.

"Actually, Hermione and I were planning to camp out by the fireplace and have a girl's night...sorry Ron! Sorry Harry!" The boys walked off all grumpy-faced and Hermione and I laughed.

"What would they do without us!" I grinned as I crossed arms with Hermione. We stopped by my room so I could bring a couple of blankets and pillows and then made our way up to the tower.

"Hey, Hermione, if we had a few extra blankets, we could lay them out across the three chairs by the fire and drape a few to cover the space in front of and above the fireplace - in such a way that they don't catch fire of course! How awesome would that be?" Hermione squealed in answer and dashed up to her room and came back carrying her blankets and pillows as well.

When we were done, our fort was a masterpiece. We'd line the edges with our pillows to creat mini walls and fireproofed the blankets closest to the fire so that we could pin them up above the fireplace and connect them to the blankets we'd draped across the sofa chairs. Hermione ran up to her room to bring down some games and I ran down to the kitchen to ask the house elves if we could pretty please have some midnight snacks. Of course they were happy to oblige. I grinned and thanked them profusely before carrying it all up to our fort.

I smiled as Hermione stared at the food as I crawled under the blankets and began laying it all out on the chairs - which served as makeshift tables.

"Where did you get all of that?"

"It's a secret. Fred and George would kill me if I told you," I stated as I surveyed the games she'd brought down. "What shall we start off with?"

Hermione pointed to the chess board and we lay down on our stomachs and set up the pieces.

We were halfway through our third game when I noticed Hermione staring at me with a curious expression on her face.

"Something wrong Hermione?"

"No, not exactly, I was just thinking about something..."

"Well, what is it?"

"I-Well, I was just thinking about what Lupin said when he mentioned Eliana..."

"He said a few things, Hermione, you're going to have to be more specific," I said as I commanded my rook to take her bishop.

"He-he said her last name was Dumbledore...and if she's your mother, than doesn't that mean..." 

"Yeah, he's my grandfather. Harry and I found out at the end of our first year after we saved the stone. He said it was too dangerous for people to know though and made us promise not to tell anyone. I'm sorry! Do you think this means Ron knows too?"

"It's okay! Professor Dumbledore is not exactly wrong...it's just weird to think that you two are related but I guess it explains all the similarities you share...and seriously? You and I both know Ron wouldn't remember a small but important detail like that! Not when there was so many other things going on! I myself only remembered it earlier today...um...there's something else I was wondering though, regarding what Sirius said about you and your mother staying with Harry's family. If you were there that night...am I right to assume that means Voldemort tried to kill you as well?"

I nodded my head, not sure what to say.

"...but you survived...like Harry did?"

I nodded again and shifted uncomfortably as I told her what my grandfather had said to Harry and I two years ago.

"Wow, that's...that's..." Hermione struggled to find something to say but couldn't. "I'm sorry, Kat. About your mom, and Sirius, and well...just everything. But you know you have me and Harry and Ron - when he's not being a total clueless idiot, right? We'll always be there for you! You're my best friend!"

"And your mine, Hermione. I don't know what I'd do without you and Harry - and Ron - when he's not being a clueless idiot!" We laughed at that and went back to playing the game.

"Hey, Hermione? Wanna see something weird?" She nodded, as I knew she would. I scootched over to her and pulled the top of my pajama shirt so that she could see my collar bone.

"That...that looks just like Harry's...only sideways!" She gasped. I rearranged my top and picked up two spoons and the container of ice cream.

"Yeah, I don't know why, but it hurts whenever his does, how weird is that? Anyways, I just thought you should know since you know everything else about me now and I know you won't tell anyone. I don't want people freaking out and obsessing over it like they do with Harry, you know? I'm enough of an oddball as it is!" She nodded in understanding and we worked our way through the container of ice cream till it was finished.

"Oh, my Merlin! I can't believe we ate all that!"

"I know! I'm so full...and yet...I want more!" I laughed and rolled over to grab two cookies from the plate I'd brought up.

"Here, have a cookie instead, it's healthier," I told her as I handed her one. We burst out laughing.

A few hours later after I told her everything grandfather had said about my Animorphmagus ability, we finally decided it was time to sleep and made a makeshift bed under the fort.

"Hey, Kat!" Hermione said excitedly turning to me as we pulled the blankets over us and lay down.

"Yeah?"

"I completely forgot! I asked my parents if you could come stay with us for the summer and they said they would love to meet you! Would you want to? You'd have to share a room with me and we'd have to walk or take public transportation everywhere since I'm not old enough to drive and my parents will be working...so it's ok if you don't want too..."

"Are you crazy? Of course I want too! If you're sure your parents are ok with it! Oh wait, I'd have to keep Drake in the house! Salazar can find somewhere out of view to sleep but what if they don't want a dragon around! It's not exactly a normal thing!"

"I think it should be fine. Salazar can probably stay inside in his cage during the day or just fly around outside and I'm sure they'd be ok with Drake staying as well! He's so cute and well behaved, I'm sure they'll love him! So how bout it?"

"I'd absolutely love to, Hermione!" We grinned happily at each other and stayed up for another few hours discussing everything we wanted to do over the summer.

I fell asleep that night with a smile on my face.

\----------------------------------------------

As the Hogwarts Express pulled out of the station the next morning, Hermione and I told Harry and Ron our new plan for next year.

"We went to see Professor McGonagall this morning, just before breakfast. We've decided to drop Muggle Studies."

"But you two passed the exam with three hundred and twenty percent!" said Ron.

"I know," sighed Hermione.

"- but we can't stand another year like this one. Those Time-Turners were driving us mad!" I said.

"We've handed them in. Without Muggle Studies and Divination, we'll be able to have a normal schedule again." Hermione finished for me.

"I still can't believe you didn't tell us about them," said Ron grumpily. "We're supposed to be your friends."

"We promised we wouldn't tell anyone," said Hermione severely. She looked around at Harry, who I noticed was watching Hogwarts disappear from view behind a mountain.

"Oh, cheer up, Harry!" said Hermione sadly.

"I'm okay," said Harry quickly. "Just thinking about the holidays."

"Yeah, I've been thinking about them too," said Ron. "Harry, you've got to come and stay with us. I'll fix it up with Mum and Dad, then I'll call you. I know how to use a fellytone now—"

"A telephone, Ron," said Hermione and I together.

"Honestly, you should take Muggle Studies next year..." I laughed at Hermione's side comment.

Ron ignored her.

"It's the Quidditch World Cup this summer! How about it, Harry? Come and stay, and we'll go and see it! Dad can usually get tickets from work."

I could tell this proposal had the effect of cheering Harry up a great deal.

"Yeah...I bet the Dursleys'd be pleased to let me come...especially after what I did to Aunt Marge..."

We spent the next few hours playing several games of Exploding Snap, and when the witch with the tea cart arrived, Harry and I bought everyone a very large lunch, though nothing with chocolate in it. We laughed and talked and I felt better than I had all year.

But it was late in the afternoon before the thing that made me truly happy turned up...

"Harry, Kat," said Hermione suddenly, peering over our shoulders. "What's that thing outside the window?"

Harry and I turned to look outside. Something very small and gray was bobbing in and out of sight beyond the glass. Harry stood up for a better look and I saw that it was a tiny owl, carrying a letter that was much too big for it. The owl was so small, in fact, that it kept tumbling over in the air, buffeted this way and that in the train's slipstream.

Harry quickly pulled down the window, stretched out his arm, and caught it. It looked like a very fluffy Snitch. He brought it carefully inside. The owl dropped its letter onto Harry's seat and began zooming around our compartment, apparently very pleased with itself for accomplishing its task. Hedwig and Salazar clicked their beaks with a sort of dignified disapproval. Crookshanks sat up in his seat, following the owl with his great yellow eyes. Ron, noticing this, snatched the owl safely out of harm's way.

Harry picked up the letter. It was addressed to the both of us. He ripped open the letter as I looked over his shoulder and we shouted, "It's from Sirius!"

"What?" said Ron and Hermione excitedly. "Read it aloud!"

Dear Harry and Katrina,

I hope this finds you before you reach the train station. I don't know whether Harry's relatives are used to owl post.

Buckbeak and I are in hiding. I won't tell you where, in case this owl falls into the wrong hands. I have some doubt about his reliability, but he is the best I could find, and he did seem eager for the job.

I believe the dementors are still searching for me, but they haven't a hope of finding me here. I am planning to allow some Muggles to glimpse me soon, a long way from Hogwarts, so that the security on the castle will be lifted.

There is something I never got around to telling you during our brief meeting. It was I who sent you the Firebolts -

"Ha!" said Hermione triumphantly. "See! I told you it was from him!"

"Yes, but he hadn't jinxed them, had he?" said Ron. "Ouch!" The tiny owl, now hooting happily in his hand, had nibbled one of his fingers in what it seemed to think was an affectionate way.

Crookshanks took the order to the Owl Office for me. I used your names but told them to take the gold from my own Gringotts vault. Please consider it as thirteen birthdays' worth of presents from your father/godfather.

I would also like to apologize for the fright I think I gave you, Harry, that night last year when you left your uncle's house. I had only hoped to get a glimpse of you before starting my journey north, but I think the sight of me alarmed you. I also want to thank you, Kat, for the kindness you showed me when I was nothing more to you than a stray hungry dog. You really are my angelous paulo. Te amo in infinitum (I love you to infinity)

I am enclosing something else for you, Harry, which I think will make your next year at Hogwarts more enjoyable.

If ever you need me, send word. Your owls will find me.

I'll write again soon.

Sirius

Harry looked eagerly inside the envelope. There was another piece of parchment in there. He read it through quickly and I watched his face light up as the smile I loved so much appeared. He handed me the note and I grinned at him.

I, Sirius Black, Harry Potter's godfather, hereby give him permission to visit Hogsmeade on weekends.

"That'll be good enough for Dumbledore!" said Harry happily. He looked back at Sirius's letter.

"Hang on, there's a P.S..."

I thought your friend Ron might like to keep this owl, as it's my fault he no longer has a rat.

Ron's eyes widened. The tiny owl was still hooting excitedly.

"Keep him?" he said uncertainly. He looked closely at the owl for a moment; then, to our great surprise, he held him out for Crookshanks to sniff.

"What do'you reckon?" Ron asked the cat. "Definitely an owl?"

We arrived at the train station and I hugged Harry and Ron before joining up with Hermione as she searched the crowd for her parents.

"Ready?" I asked her.

"For what?"

I linked arms with her as I grinned. "The best summer ever!"

Explanations

\- Buckbeak: So in actuality, the act of Voldemort killing the mother of his child and attempting to kill his own flesh and blood was exponentially greater than when he tried to kill Harry which is what causes Eliana's soul to linger long enough for it to attach to a new compatible body. Basically the good version of a horcrux that will naturally die (if anyone can come up with a good term to call it I'll dedicate that chapter when it finally arrives to you!) I'm obviously changing a little bit of the book so that when Hagrid arrives that night - he's on Buckbeak but once he gets there, Sirius lets him have his motorcycle. Since the Hippogriff was close proximity wise and Eliana/Aquila is associated with the deity Garuda - half-eagle half-human, it's what allowed her soul to make the bond with Buckbeak in particular (and isn't it so sweet that she manages to find Sirius again!) She has that nickname for a reason people! (It wasn't just in the ethereal since but also literal!)

\- Animorphmagus Power: so everything I said earlier in explanation is completely true and yes Kat is obviously as skilled at ligillimancy as her father but what really happened in this particular instant with Crookshanks was that she possessed the cat. Hence why there was only one cat running around and not two and why she looked like/was him. She has the ability to morph into a version of a cat if she wanted to but if she used the Animorphmagus power on its own without the legillimency/possession power, she'd be herself in cat form - Kat the cat, whereas, when she possesses someone - she takes over their body - which then turns the animal's eyes blue as well like how people's eyes turn red if/when Voldemort possesss then - it's an important distinction so please let me know if there's any confusion still about Buckbeak or Crookshanks! I hope I explained it well enough. Really hoping y'all understand the whole star connection Buckbeak thing and that Kat's showing inherited Riddle power with the possession. There's a few secrets I'm keeping about all of this for the six book so there might be a few loose ends but it's on purpose. Totally rambling -point is - let me know whether or not it all makes sense so far!

In-line Comments/Questions

\- Fudge is delusional if he thinks Harry will say that!

\- Kat collapses because it was only once they walked back into the hospital wing that time caught up again - like in the movie - she was wrong when she thought it had earlier

\- Poor Harry gets cheated on the whole godparents deal but I'm hoping y'all see why I did it/can see that he didn't need extra guardians to assure he didn't turn evil since there's too much good in him. It's not like Lupin, Sirius, Snape (well maybe not Snape haha) James, and Lilly, and Eliana love(d) him any less just because they were/are Kat's godparents

\- Aww look, Dumbledore admitting to another mistake - maybe it's just easier with Kat since she's family <3

\- hoping it's obvious that Kat's appetite returns because she now knows that her father is innocent and her world makes sense again...for now :p

\- hope the whole Kat showing Hermione her scar thing didn't seem too out of the blue or random but I wanted to get that out of the way so it makes more sense when Harry and her have the Voldemort dream over the summer ya know?

\- Does Hermione have an owl? I'm totally blanking on that right now but feel like I remember her either saying she wanted one or eventually having one but not sure if I'm making that up and too lazy right now to go look it up haha - I wanna say no.

\- Same goes for what Hermione did over the summer before joining Ron and Harry for the quidditch cup! Wanna try and get the first chapter of the next book up asap but need as many details as possible. I'll look it up at some point but it'd be easier/faster if someone knew the answer and just commented it :p

\- as always comment, share, like, etc to let me know what you thought of this chapter and the whole book now that it's finally done!

\- sorry there's so much extra notes this time! Just really wanna make sure everything is clear since I totally just made up new HP terms/concepts

\- I'll be trying to format the notes in this way from now on so also let me know now or once I start the 4th book whether you like it or would prefer something else! Obviously there won't usually be so many!


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